Head Over Heels
by fssquiggles
Summary: 1975. 6th Year. With Voldemort's threats becoming more of a reality difficulties arise. Friendships will be tested, relationships will grow, secrets are revealed, people will change, and things will never ever be the same. Is it for better? Or for worse?
1. Chapter 1: Letters

**Hello! This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction ever! Reviews, constructive criticism, flames, cookies**-**anything would be Lovely~**

**Summary: It all begins in 1975. 6th Year. Life's been getting difficult for the Hogwarts students. With Voldemort's threats becoming more of reality, friendships will be tested, relationships will grow, secrets will be revealed, people will change, and things will never ever be the same. For better or for worse, as they say. **

**Also: Pretty largely based on Lily/James because I adore them. And I like Canon OCs. So if you've got suggestions for canon surnames, it would be appreciated.  
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**Enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. All of this is because of J.K. Rowling. Should I mention Warner Bros too? IDK.  
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><p><em>Chapter 1: Letters<em>

__"This story is about truth, beauty, freedom; but above all things, this story is about love." ~**Moulin Rouge**  
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James Potter was lying on his bed; face down, his glasses smashed between his face and his soft pillow. He groaned, as his pounding headache rendered him incapable of all speech. Damn it all, he thought bitterly. He had known that party was not a good idea. _Nobody _came out of the Hotchkiss brother's End of Summer bash without being completely piss drunk. Now he was stuck with the worst hangover he had ever had. But Sirius had _insisted_ they go.

He sighed, rolling over, and caught sight of, none other than, Sirius Black lying in a heap on the wood floor. He vaguely remembered that he had managed to floo home (with a passed out Sirius in tow) and snuck up to his room, before throwing himself on his bed.

From what he could remember, it had been a fun night. It was easy to forget a certain ginger when in the company of one very cute brunette. Though, now that he thought of it, he had completely forgotten said brunette's name.

Before James could think any further, his bedroom door swung open. Standing at the door was James's mother, Elizabeth Potter.

Elizabeth Potter was a sweet and kind woman. She used to be a beautiful woman and still was, though much older. Her bright hazel eyes, exactly like her son's, were always sparkling with love and mischief, and as youthful as ever. She had crinkles around her eyes and mouth, caused by years of laughter, stress, and worry but mostly the former. She was wearing long red robes and black heels, adding more height to her already tall stature. Her long black hair was pulled up in her usual ponytail.

However, Mrs Potter looked nothing close to sweet and kind as she stood at her son's bedroom door with her arms crossed. As a matter of fact, she looked absolutely livid.

James watched his mother warily. His mother was rarely angry but when she was, well, all hell usually broke loose. He knew he should be doing something to calm her down, but frankly he was way too tired for this right now.

Mrs Potter stalked into the room and threw open the curtains. James and Sirius both groaned turning away as bright sunshine flooded the room. "Rise and shine, you idiots," She said loudly. She sounded irritated but her tone still held an unmistakable note of affection. James groaned even louder, his head pounding, and pulled the covers over him.

"Mum, _too loud_," James said, his voice edging closer to a whine than he would have liked to admit. Mrs Potter's eyes flashed. She pulled the blanket off her son and dropped it to the ground.

"_Too loud?" _She shrieked, heatedly. Sirius and James both winced, from their headaches and their fear. "Nobody told you two to go out and do Merlin knows what into the wee hours of the night, did they?"

"But mum, it's the end of summer. You can't expect us to _not _have attended."

"Trust me, James. I learned to stop expecting things the minute you turned nine. But I did _hope_ you wouldn't be a complete idiot. You knew we were heading to Aunt Jane's house. And you know how she feels about…" She waved her hands. "Such things."

"Who cares what Aunt Jane thinks? And I still don't understand how she could even _know_ about this."

"I care what Jane thinks, James. And she is quite perceptive. Your aunt. _You _of all people should know that."

James glared at her, "You're just doing this because of _him_." A flicker of pain contorted his mother's features and James instantly regretted his words.

Staring at her son's face for a second, she sighed. Her expression softened and she exhaled.

"As punishment- yes, James, I _am_ punishing you- for your irresponsible behavior, there will be no Hangover Potion for either of you and you're both still coming to visit Jane, whether you like it or not."

She ignored the boys' protests and continued, "And if you two are not on your best behavior, _I swear to Merlin_, James Alfred Potter and Sirius Orion Black, I'll show you _exactly_ what 'too loud' really is." She walked over to Sirius and nudged him with her foot, "Your lazy bums better be out this door and down the stairs in _ten minutes_." Mrs Potter proceeded to exit the room.

"Your Hogwarts letters and O.W.L. results are here, as well." She added, without turning to fully address them. James and Sirius grinned at each other. _Hogwarts. _

/~/~/~/~/~/

Somewhere across the country, in a small town of Surrey, Lily Evans sat cross-legged on her bed. She was still in her pajamas and it must have been at least noon. She sighed, tucking her deep red hair behind her ear. She felt like she was forgetting something but she couldn't quite place what it was exactly. Alice's forgetfulness must have been rubbing off on her. Pursing her lips, she sighed again. To be honest, though, Lily missed her best friends. A lot.

She leaned over, tugging open the bedside table drawer, and pulled out a turquoise, leather-bound book. It was her scrapbook, of sorts. Unfortunately, she only had four pictures in it.

It was pretty embarrassing to call it a scrapbook, really. She used to have tons of pictures in it, from when she was younger. There used to be pictures of her and Petunia, and plenty of photographs of her and Severus. Petunia had somehow found her book and took all the pictures that had Petunia in it. When Lily had asked why, Petunia had told her that she didn't want anyone finding out she was associated with a freak. A picture of her and her family from when she was ten was the only photograph she had left of Petunia and her. However, Lily chose to get rid of the photos of her and Severus. Those were still in her room, but not in the scrapbook.

Pushing her thoughts away, she flipped through her book smiling at the people waving back at her. It was a photo taken in fifth year on the quidditch pitch.

Picture Lily was laughing as she tried to hold up the girl hanging off her back. That girl was Kaya Johnson, a pretty black girl with dark brown eyes and long black hair. She was currently dressed in her quidditch gear. Standing next to Lily and Kaya, rolling her eyes, was Alice Prewett, curly light brown hair billowing in the breeze and her sweet, round face was all scrunched as she tried to look disapproving. Lastly, lying on the grass and smiling idly upwards, was Mary Macdonald. Her blonde hair was spread under her and she was waving at something.

Lily felt a pang in her chest. They were her best friends and she missed them terribly. Sure they kept up with owls but they were all on vacation or dealing with family affairs, so she couldn't actually _meet_ anyone. _They're not your only best friends. He's right there, down the block_, a little voice in her head said, but she shoved that thought as far as she could.

Lily stared at the photo beside the quidditch one. It was a photograph of Lily and Remus Lupin, her fellow Gryffindor prefect and unfortunately her enemy's best friend. She always wondered how studious, kind, not-a-prat Remus Lupin could be a best friend to the biggest prat in the world. But she knew her enemy wasn't a total git to _everyone._ Plenty of people seemed to adore him. They practically worshiped the ground he walked on. Bugger. She really, _really _wasn't in the mood to think about her enemy.

Sighing Lily shoved the book back into its respective drawer and heaved herself off her bed. She had been sighing _way _too much lately. Frankly, she was going to have to put a stop to it. Chocolate sounded like a pretty good remedy right now. She kicked away a discarded _Daily Prophet_, a convicted Death Eater's sneering face tumbling across the floor, and walked downstairs to find her some chocolate. Preferably dark chocolate, thanks to Remus.

Lily reached the bottom of the stairs when she heard voices coming from the kitchen. It sounded like Petunia and her mum. And they sounded like they were arguing. She moved closer to the kitchen door and would have just walked in, had she not heard her name coming from her mother. Lily paused in surprise. They were arguing about _her._ Petunia's angry whisper drifted out to Lily.

"_No_, mum. I don't want her."

Mrs Evans sounded annoyed, "_Petunia._ Lily is your sister. You'll want her there as your bridesmaid. I know you will."

"No you don't know me, mum. It's _my_ wedding and I can choose whomever I'd like as bridesmaid and I don't want that— I don't want _her_," Petunia answered heatedly. Anger flared through Lily's body.

Mrs Evans spoke quietly "I'm not going to let you make any rash decisions now. Your wedding isn't for a few months. No, let me finish Petunia—I _do_ know you and you'll regret this decision." Mrs Evans sighed. Lily imagined that Petunia was giving her mum a taste of her cold, stubborn look. "At least, think it over, until Christmas." There was a momentary silence and Lily couldn't take it anymore.

Lily burst into the kitchen and, barely acknowledging Petunia, stepped past her to the kitchen table. After Petunia had announced that Lily was to be one of her bridesmaids, Lily began to hope that things between her and her sister would begin get better. Wasn't there something she read about how planning weddings was a good bonding method? Personally, Lily thought the glares, name calling, and arguing between Petunia and her had actually lessened. Obviously, Lily was wrong about that. A small part of her wished she'd been right.

Petunia's voice cut through the silence. "Fine, mum. I'll think about it, but it'll just be a waste of time. My answer is never going to change. Never." Lily watched Petunia depart, her blond hair flying behind her. Petunia's last word hung in the silence, echoing in Lily's mind. She could feel the familiar stinging of tears, and blinked them away, angrily. _She_ was not going to be sad over this. It wasn't her fault.

Mrs. Dahlia Evans, a plump, motherly woman, turned towards her youngest daughter. Mrs Evans sandy blonde hair was coming loose from its high bun and she her emerald green eyes were filled with worry. Lily smiled at her mother, a strained smile.

Lily could tell from her mother's expression that Mrs Evans was quite aware that Lily had heard the gist of the conversation. Mrs Evans could also tell that Lily did not want to talk about it and there really was no way to get the girl to talk when she didn't want to. She was too stubborn.

Wiping her hands on her apron, Mrs Evans opened the cupboard and pulled out a bar of chocolate.

"I think you were looking for this, flower," Mrs Evans said, smiling warmly at her youngest daughter.

"You know me so well, mum," Lily answered, a genuine grin beginning to form.

"That's why they call me your mother." Mrs Evans began turn away when she jumped remembering something.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. Earlier today, your Hogwarts Letter arrived, along with those O.W.L. results you mentioned earlier. It's in the sitting room. Straight "O"s, perhaps?" Mrs Evans winked and Lily grinned enthusiastically.

"Don't jinx it!" Lily called after Mrs Evans.

Just hearing about Hogwarts brought her jitters. Lily realized that even after spending five years there, she still missed Hogwarts quite terribly.

/~/~/~/~/~/~/

Remus Lupin groaned. Memories flooded back to him of what happened last night. He had tried biting and scratching himself and he was pretty sure, from the foul taste in his mouth, that he had munched on some small animal. There were plenty of rats crawling around down here anyway. Still, Remus felt bad for eating those rats. He couldn't help thinking of Peter.

Remus pushed his aching naked body off the ground and blinked, trying to situate himself. For a moment, he had forgotten where he was. He was sitting in small chamber, of sorts, made of strong brick and a tiny barred window way up against the ceiling, streaming in sunlight. There was a large metal door, all scratched up and dented, but still standing strong. He glared at the scratches knowing that he was close to getting out. He thanked Merlin he hadn't.

Remus also thanked Merlin for Dumbledore. This was no Shrieking Shack but it was good enough to hold him during the summer. Though he hated waking up alone and disoriented. Remus sighed. He had gotten too used to the other Marauders and their company. He kept having to remind himself that he would have to do this alone eventually. A tiny part of Remus secretly hoped that he was wrong about ending up alone.

Dragging himself up, Remus staggered over to a loosened brick, and pulled it up. Lying in a neat bundle was a few pairs of muggle outfits and his wand. He quickly pulled on his clothes and grabbed his wand, pushing the stone back into place. Remus pushed the metal door and stepped out into the bright light, blinking from the sudden brightness. Performing a quick _Reparo _for the heavily bruised door and a complicated locking charm, Remus walked home utterly exhausted.

Upon arriving home, Remus found his mother lying on the couch. Mrs Lupin was a petite, frail-looking woman. She was also a muggle and Remus knew she had to make up just as many lies about him as he did.

Remus's mother had graying brown hair and she always looked worried. Remus knew his mum worried because of him and he hated it. She even looked worried in her sleep. As if Mrs Lupin could feel her son's presence, she woke with a start.

"Oh, hullo, Remus! You're home," she hurried off the couch and engulfed her son in a hug.

"Hi, mum. You know you didn't have to wait up for me," Remus mumbled against his mother's tight grip. She let go of him and scanning his body to make sure he wasn't hurt.

"Oh, nonsense, dear. Of course I do. Anyway what would you like for breakfast? Porridge? Waffles? Or since it's pretty late I could make some lunch food?" Mrs Lupin spoke as she rushed off to the kitchen. Remus followed her through the swinging kitchen door, trying to get a word in. When Mrs Lupin paused to turn on the stove, Remus found an opportunity to speak.

"Mum. It's okay. I'm not that hungry anyway. You should go get some rest." Mrs Lupin shook her head and continued to take out a few pots. "Mum, are you even listening to me?"

"Of course, I'm listening to you. Why wouldn't I? I just —You look quite peaky, dear." Remus very nearly rolled his eyes. _Obviously_ he was going to look peaky. That's what a few days as a werewolf did to a person.

"Mum, I'm serious. You do this _every day_. You need to rest mum," His tone came out sharper then he meant it to be. Remus didn't miss the guilt and sadness that crossed Mrs Lupin's face. Of course his mother was feeling guilty. She'd said something about this a while back, about how she felt guilty for not being there for him during the worst part of his life.

Remus sighed, tiredly, "Mum, there is no reason for you to feel like you have to prove something to me."

Mrs Lupin blinked, her eyes shining, "But I do. I just…Your sickness…I just— You know I love you, right?" Remus couldn't really handle girls and their tears, especially his mum. He watched his mum sadly.

"Yes, mum. I know you love me."

Mrs Lupin watched her son for a second, tears threatening to overflow and a torrent of emotions seemed to flash through her eyes. "Your Hogwarts letter is on the table. Get yourself some rest, alright dear?"

"I will, mum. And I love you, too, mum." As Mrs Lupin departed up the stairs, Remus slumped down at the kitchen table. Sitting on top of his Hogwarts letter was a bar of dark chocolate. He grinned, feeling weary. He was beyond ready to get back to Hogwarts.

/~/~/~/~/~/~/

"Alice Prewett! We are all waiting for you," Mrs Prewett's voice called crossly.

"Coming, Mum!" Alice checked her reflection one last time. She was rather on the tall side and her curly, brown hair was put in an elaborate updo. She adjusted her dark pink dress and smiled as she caught the reflection of her cousin, Molly, standing at the door.

Molly's brownish red hair was swept up in a simple braided bun and a goblin-made tiara sat delicately upon her head. She was dressed in a simple yet elegant white dress. Alice still couldn't believe that her older cousin was getting married. Alice thought nineteen was too young, but she knew Molly was older than her years. She could take care of children easily. She would make a lovely wife and mother.

Alice turned to Molly, "Hey Mols. Getting cold feet?" Molly had been going back and forth between crying and beaming for the last week.

Molly smiled warmly, "No, of course not. I came up to check if _you_ were getting cold feet." Alice laughed.

"I'm not the one getting married. I think I can handle this bridesmaid business, thank you very much." Molly rolled her eyes. Alice could tell that something was bothering the bride.

"Are you nervous, then?" Alice asked. After a second, Molly dropped her eyes and when she looked up, Alice's stomach flipped from the anxiety emanating from them.

"Yes. Yes, yes, _yes_.I am so terribly, absolutely, bloody nervous. I don't even have butterflies anymore. They've turned into really hyper Hippogriffs," Molly said, with a huff, as she plopped down on the bed.

"What are you nervous about? You're Molly Prewett, the most calm, level-headed person I've ever met," Alice told her. Molly giggled breathlessly.

"You've obviously never met me then. I am _far _from level-headed and calm."

"I know that. I was just trying to give you a pep talk. I don't think calling you an emotional wreck would have helped." Molly and Alice giggled, until Molly pursed her lips, seriously.

"Shit, Al. I don't think I can do this. You were right; it's too early for this. I— I can't do this. I can't be a wife. I can't be a potential _mother._ Arthur is too…I just…Oh Merlin, what was I thinking? I'm an idiot. There's a possibility of a _war_ and only a bloody idiot would think marriage…I can't—" Alice interrupted her cousin's hysterical ranting with a hard slap to the face. Alice didn't know who was more surprised, Molly or she. Before Molly could get another word out, Alice took a deep breath and spoke forcefully.

"_Shut up_, Molly. Just shut up this instant. What kind of Gryffindor are you, if you're not even brave enough to go and walk down that aisle? This…this kind of thing should be difficult to do, shouldn't it? You _should _be feeling nervous. You're giving your heart, life, and soul to another person. I'm pretty sure nervousness is completely normal right about now. You may be an idiot and a total emotional wreck but I know you, Molly. I've grown up with you for Merlin's sake. I know that you are going to be _the best_ mother a child could ever ask for. You're mental, overprotective, shrieky, loving, caring, and purely wonderful. You're perfect. Anyway, _you_ decided you were going to do this, you _can_ do this, and I will _not_ let you back out now. You hear me, Molly Prewett. I did not put in all this time and effort for your wedding only to have you back out at the last minute. So pull yourself together _right now_." Alice took a deep breathe, surprised didn't even cover how she felt with herself and her little tirade.

There was a brief silence as Molly gawked at Alice. Alice was usually a sweet girl who would rarely get forceful or angry. "Alice…"

Alice sighed and took her cousin's hands. "I may not agree with early marriage and whatnot but that's because I wouldn't be ready for such a thing. I_ know _you're ready, Molly. And we can't stop _everything_ because of some idiot and his prejudiced thoughts, can we?"

Molly exhaled slowly. "You're right. I'm being a sensitive idiot. Th—Thanks, Alice, I really needed that." She murmured rubbing her cheek and standing up slowly.

Alice followed her cousin out into the hall, watching her worriedly. Molly suddenly stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to face Alice. Alice shook her head as menacingly as she could and pointed down the stairs. Alice made a hand gesture as if to say "Go or else." She was pretty sure she looked more ridiculous than intimidating.

Molly snorted and burst into a fit of laughter. Alice rolled her eyes and pulled her cousin down the stairs. Waiting in the sitting room was Alice's mum and Molly's mum, looking rather irritated, Molly dad, who looked awed as if he couldn't believe he was marrying off his only daughter and youngest child, and Molly's elder brothers and twins, Gideon and Fabian.

"Took you two long enough," Molly's mum scoffed affectionately, taking in the sight of the two girls and then she gasped, "Were you two _fighting_?" Alice glanced up at Molly confused and then noticed the pink, hand-shaped mark on her cousin's left cheek. Oh.

"_No._ It was nothing like that, Aunt Sarah. I was just giving Molly some…some moral support, that's all," Alice replied quickly while Molly started snickering. Mrs Prewett looked at her daughter questioningly,

"Moral support in the form of violence. Sounds reasonable," she said.

Alice shook her head, smiling. "Our lovely bride here was about to ditch the wedding. I _had _to stop her." Everyone stared at Molly, who suddenly seemed very interested on the carpet patterns.

Gideon smiled and walked over to Molly, giving her a one-armed hug, "I, for one, was beginning to wonder when you'd try to back out. I wasn't going to tell you this but Weasley's already tried _plenty_ of times." Molly raised her eyebrows at him questionably.

"Don't worry, Mols. We threatened to hex him every time," Fabian continued, winking, "You don't have to thank us." Molly rolled her eyes.

"We really must get going." Molly's dad added.

"I know that. But what are we going to do about Molly's cheek? You can't have one cheek pinker than the other!" Aunt Sarah cried as if this was complete blasphemy.

"I could slap her again," Alice offered and Molly glared at her. Fabian and Gideon snickered and nodded in agreement.

"I'd rather not. You know, Alice, I like you better when you're sweet and not beating people." Molly said.

Alice's mum suggested that it'd go away by the time they got to the wedding, which seemed to satisfy Molly's mother. After telling the kids the importance of arriving at the wedding in five minutes (namely so they could prove to Muriel that Molly wasn't going to steal the tiara), the adults left the room, leaving Alice, Molly, Fabian, and Gideon alone.

Molly pulled Alice into her arms, "I love you. A lot." After a moment, she looked up at her brothers and pretended to groan, "Unfortunately, I love you idiots, too."

Fabian grimaced, dramatically, "Ah, your words!"

"They hurt us so, dear sister." Gideon finished, pretending to be hurt. Molly rolled her eyes, and beckoned them closer.

Fabian and Gideon joined Alice and Molly in a huge group hug. Molly looked like she was trying not to cry and Alice couldn't help but feel like she wouldn't see her cousin for a while.

Suddenly, a hoot of an owl and loud scratching at the window made Alice jump. Gideon smirked at Alice's reaction and Alice stuck her tongue out at him. Fabian and Gideon rolled their eyes simultaneously, making Alice giggle.

Molly ducked out of Fabian's arm and opened the window, taking the letter. With an indignant hoot, the tawny brown owl flew away.

Nostalgia filled Molly's eyes as she stared at the letter and then handed it to Alice. It was Alice's Hogwarts letter. Alice looked at it for a second and then put it down on the coffee table. She grabbed Molly's arm.

"It's been way past five minutes."

"Really?" Fabian glanced at his watch, "Bloody hell. Mum's going to have a fit. See you lot later, then," He turned in his spot and disappeared.

Gideon winked, "See you in a few, loves." And he was gone.

Since Alice was still fifteen, she couldn't apparate. She stared at the spot Fabian and Gideon previously occupied enviously. She hated side-along apparation. Molly's grip tightened and Alice braced herself for the queasiness, and the feeling that something was tugging at her stomach.

That last thoughts that occupied Alice was apparating, not tripping at the wedding, and, most important to her, Hogwarts.

/~/~/~/~/~/~/

"Peter, love, would you like some more?" Mrs Pettigrew asked her son, holding out a plate of pancakes. Peter shook his head. He wasn't very hungry. He was rather preoccupied with how Remus was holding out. Last night was the end of the full moon and he was worried about his best mate. Though he'd never actually _say_ those words out loud. Talking about feelings violated Marauder man code, according to Sirius.

Peter missed doing pranks and hanging out with his best mates. He loved his parents, as much as he could, but he was annoyed at how…normal and boring they were. His parents were completely normal people. They weren't famous and cool aurors, interesting muggles with a weird job, or even unhinged Pureblood fanatics. His dad worked a normal nine to five Ministry desk job, where he filed papers, and his mum was a housewife.

Boring and normal.

Hanging with the Marauders for the last five years showed him just how uneventful his home life really was. He knew he should be grateful and whatnot but he couldn't help feeling a little jealous of his friends.

Peter sighed, inaudibly. See? Now he wasn't being confident in himself. Remus had told him that he needed to start believing in himself and what he had a little more. Peter was a Gryffindor _and _Marauder for Merlin's sake. He wasn't allowed to be boring and unconfident.

"C'mon, boy. Eat up. You look as thin as parchment," Mr Pettigrew's voice boomed, taking Peter out of his thoughts. Peter put another pancake on his plate obligingly, not in the mood to hear his father go off about young boys being sturdy and strong.

"Peter, dear, I was wondering why your little friends haven't been around yet," Mrs Pettigrew asked, casually.

"Mum, they're not _little_. They're fifteen, almost sixteen. That's like calling _me_ little. Anyway, they came around two weeks ago," Peter answered a little annoyed.

"You will always be my little baby, Peter. And anyone your age will be little to me as well," Mrs Pettigrew answered, leaning over to pinch Peter's cheeks. Peter blushed. His mum was so embarrassing. "Anyway, those friends of yours were right gentlemen." Peter rolled his eyes. It was funny how his parents couldn't see right through his friend's charming attitudes. They wouldn't be too pleased if they knew what they got up to at school. However, he was just glad his mum didn't end up being too embarrassing, though she did almost bring out the baby pictures, to Peter's horror.

"Oh, yes. That Potter boy comes from a very good family, he does," His father said, looking at Peter over his Daily Prophet. "That Black boy and Lupin are very good boys, as well. Maybe you can get that Potter boy to teach you some quidditch? When I was your age I was the best quidditch player Hufflepuff has ever encountered, mind you." Peter ignored his father's reminiscences.

For as long as Peter could remember, every conversation Peter had with his father would go from a certain topic, to something his father did 'when he was Peter's age', to how Peter should be more like his father. More recently, Mr Pettigrew seemed to like comparing Peter to his best mates, especially Prongs. Peter didn't want to resent any of this. James Potter was good at everything. But he did.

His father's last sentence resounded through Peter's head and even though he tried not to take it to heart, Peter did. That last sentence in his father's comparison always found itself into Peter's heart and brain, and somehow manifested itself into the deepest recesses. He couldn't get rid of the phrase, no matter how much he wanted to.

"_You should be more like them, Peter."_

A peculiar, amber owl flew through the window and landed on Mr Pettigrew's pancakes, causing the man to squirt the bottle of maple syrup into his lap. Peter snorted, as the owl hopped around the table excitably, while Mr Pettigrew cursed in a different language. Peter reached out and untied the letter from the amber bird. As soon as the weight of the letter left it's leg the bird swooped out of the window with a hoot.

"Bloody bird." Mr Pettigrew grumbled as Mrs Pettigrew waved her wand to clean up the mess the bird had left in its wake.

Peter had recognized the letter. It was his Hogwarts letter.

"_Finally_," he muttered.

/~/~/~/~/~/~/

Kaya Johnson was laying on her back on a bed laid with sea-green sheets and in a place that was most definitely _not_ her bedroom. She knew Mary Macdonald had unusual tastes but she never really thought it was that bad. Oh, how wrong she was. Strangely, Kaya liked it. Why else would Mary be one of her best mates?

After spending some time in Mary's house, Kaya had learned that Mary's mother was really into collecting weird, seemingly pointless objects and Mary's father liked to travel with his wife. Kaya hadn't met Mary's parents yet since they were on a trip to India. Kaya guessed that Mary's bizarre ways were genetic.

Mary Macdonald was sitting on the shaggy rug and knitting, of all things. Kaya thought she was making a rather lumpy looking scarf but Mary had said it was supposed to be a sweater. Kaya watched Mary knit. She looked very intent on what she was doing and Kaya didn't want to interrupt.

Mary was a very pretty girl. Her blonde hair was up in a high ponytail and her bright, blue eyes sparkled with interest. Mary always looked like she was interested and whenever she looked at people; she made them feel like they were the only person in the world. Of course, Mary didn't know she made people feel that way, but she did. However, this made Kaya feel quite uncomfortable. She felt like Mary could see into her soul sometimes and it irritated her. She always tried her hardest to guard her soul.

As if right on cue, Mary looked up at Kaya, and Kaya looked away, quickly. "You're worried," Mary said, more of a statement than a question.

"No. I'm not worried. Why would I be worried, Mary?" Kaya asked.

Mary laughed a tinkling laugh. "You're so easy to read sometimes. Like an open book."

Kaya glared at her, "I am _not_ an open book."

"No, no, you're right. More like an open book you can only read with your back turned," Mary sighed and turned her attention to a magazine lying on the floor. Kaya really didn't get Mary.

"Best mates aren't supposed to be so confusing to understand," Kaya told her slipping off the bed and sitting across from Mary.

"Best mates aren't supposed to be so understanding to the confused," Mary replied flipping through _Witch Weekly_.

Kaya rolled her eyes, "Very funny, Macdonald."

Mary stared at Kaya blankly, "Oh, you thought I was joking." Kaya pursed her lips as Mary went back to her magazine, examining a particularly ugly set of yellow dress robes.

Mary was right though. Kaya was as confused as ever. Mary didn't even question Kaya when she had showed up at Mary's doorstep two days ago. Mary had just looked at her with her signature soul-gazing Mary stare and told Kaya that her parents were away for the next five days. Kaya still didn't know whether she could handle going back home; it was hard to act like you didn't care.

"You're going to have to go home eventually, Kaya."

"I know, Mary." Kaya hadn't told her mum where she had gone though her mum probably knew she was at Mary's. Mary jumped up and smiled.

"Let's go to the zoo."

"What's a 'zoo'?" Kaya stared at Mary, confused. Mary was already pulling on her black combat boots and sticking her wand down her boots. She grabbed Kaya's arm in a hurry, giggling.

"Oh, you don't know," she asked a little dreamily, "Oh, yes. I forget that you're not accustomed to muggle things. It's a really pretty place full of some magnificent animals but they're not like magical creatures or anything. Just normal creatures, but magical in their own way. Unlike normal zoos these creatures aren't all caged up, which I love. I've shown you Lion King, right? It's like that but smaller…" Mary kept up a stream of excited chatter as she pulled Kaya down the stairs.

Hooting and scratching at the window distracted Mary from her babbling. Sitting at the window, seemingly rolling it large eyes, was an unfamiliar gray owl. Mary skipped over to the window and pulled it open. It hooted at her impatiently and Mary grinned.

"Why, hullo there. Let me get that for you," Mary pulled the letter off the owl and looked at it happily. The owl hooted again, and flew out the window, leaving a few gray feathers behind. "Oh, look Kaya! Hogwarts letter! Can't wait to get back." Mary turned to Kaya and gave her a look.

Kaya sighed, "Mine's not there, is it?" Usually the letters always showed up wherever she was staying, so she was hoping it would show up at Mary's house.

Mary shook her head, "You know…this could be a sign from Dumbledore."

Kaya smiled ruefully. Mary continued speaking, placing the letter in a kitchen drawer, "First, we're going to the zoo. Then, _you're _going home. Then, when the First arrives, we can _both_ go home."

Kaya nodded as Mary walked over to the door. She was right. Hogwarts _was _our home. It was literally our second home.

"Where is this zoo you're talking about, Mary?" Kaya asked.

Mary shrugged, "Somewhere in London. I don't remember the details. Last time I went, I was nine. It shouldn't be _too_ hard to find. London's not that big." Kaya watched Mary, walk out of the house, and couldn't help but grin.

/~/~/~/~/~/~/

As the Hogwarts students, new and old, received their letters, a meeting was being held in a murky, damp room somewhere in England. Cloaked figures were seated around a large square table, anonymity and dimness flooding the atmosphere with a dark sort of excitement and edginess. One could practically taste the tension in the air. The figure seated at the head of the table seemed to hold every bit of attention in the room, his pale face etched with ominous glee.

One could say that matters of great importance were discussed at this meeting. However, if they spoke of what exactly was being conversed, all that would be left of him or her would be a tiny section in the obituary of the _Daily Prophet. _Perhaps even an article or two, but nothing much.

Certain words echoed in the basement room, in a cold high-pitched voice.

_Greater Good._

_Mudbloods.  
><em>

_Recruits._

_Hogwarts._

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><p><strong>AN: Woah. Done. This chapter was 14 pages**** but it looks so much shorter when I actually post it. This was the longest chapter I've ever written. I'm so proud.  
><strong>

**Reviews would be awesome! I'll give all you lovely reviewers, constructive criticizers, and flamers a plethora of virtual hugs and virtual fudge.**

**Siriusly. :)**_  
><em>


	2. Chapter 2: Knight in Shining Armor

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter. I wish I did, but I don't. :'(**

**I have updated for you. Also I just needed to get this out my head. Happy days~**

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><p><em>Chapter 2: Knight in Shining Armor<br>_

_"I know of no way of judging the future but by the past."** ~Patrick Henry**_

Parents and students say goodbye to each other on the crowded Platform 9 ¾, just like any other year. There's something different about today, however.

It's not the coddling of the students. Nor the embarrassed looks on the children's faces.

Not the squeals of delight of seeing a friend again. Nor the animated chatter that echoed indistinguishably throughout the platform.

If one looks closely, it's quite clear to all. The uneasiness, that is. Parents fret nervously and the students whisper amongst themselves. Glances are thrown across the room: the main entrance, the fireplaces, and the train doors. _Aurors_, they say. Stationed all over the platform. _Just in case_, they say.

/~/~/~/~/~/

"C'mon, Moony. Stop being such a prude," Sirius Black groaned. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew were currently pushing their way through the crowded train corridor to get to their usual compartment. It wasn't really pushing, though, since people automatically got out of the Marauder's way. Ruling the school had its benefits.

"What does being a prude have to do with patrolling?" Remus Lupin asked, rolling his eyes.

"Everything, Moony. _Everything_," James answered.

"Like how, exactly?" James exchanged a look with Sirius, who rolled his eyes.

"Oh, my dear, naïve, little Remus. Prefects who take their patrol duties seriously end up becoming goody two shoes. Then, sooner or later, rules will be _all_ they care about," Sirius answered, taking on an eerie tone. Peter shuddered and James laughed.

"That makes no sense. And I'm not little _or_ naïve." James sighed and patted Remus on the back.

"It's okay Remus. We'll get through this together. We won't let you become Minnie reincarnate, mate," James said, genuinely while Peter and Sirius snickered loudly. Remus rolled his eyes.

"_Why _am I friends with you three?"

"Probably because you think we're _totally_ awesome," Sirius said. Peter nodded taking on what he thought was an awesome pose. James snorted.

"Idiots, the lot of you," Remus was amused despite himself.

"I absolutely agree with that statement, Remus," A pretty, brunette stood in front of the Marauders, hands on her hips.

It was Marlene McKinnon. Currently a fifth year Gryffindor and a girl people made a point not to cross. She spoke her mind and was probably the only other person (other than the Marauders) who could keep Sirius in check, most of the time. Her light brown eyes were smiling despite her attempt to look annoyed and her straight, shiny mane of hair lay loose. Standing next to her was Dorcas Meadowes, her long blonde curls up in a ponytail and blue-gray eyes sparkling. Remus's stomach felt funny, almost nervous, and he felt quite happy. He concluded that he was probably very hungry.

Dorcas greeted the Marauders with hugs and Marlene smiled at Remus, Peter, and James warmly. She then turned to Sirius, looking very cross, "Black."

Sirius winked at her, smirking. "Anger is quite unattractive on you, McKinnon."

Marlene glared at him, "_Everything_ is unattractive on you."

Sirius raised his eyebrows suggestively, "_On _me? Would everything be attractive _off_ me, then?" James and Peter chuckled. Marlene slowly turned red and glared at Sirius. If looks could kill Sirius would have been way past dead. Dorcas shook her head at his suggestive comment.

"What's wrong, Dorc. Not jealous, are you?" Sirius asked Dorcas, winking. Dorcas glared at him.

"In your dreams, Black," Dorcas scoffed, swatting at his arm emphasizing each word, "And—I've—told—you—_a million times_—don't—call—me—Dorc."

"_Ow._ _Merlin_, you're mental. Marley, your best friend is a mad woman," Sirius grunted, trying to move away from Dorcas' reach.

"Good," Marlene answered. She turned to James, "You're Captain, yeah?"

"Obviously," James smirked.

"Thought so. Well, congrats on that. And you'd betterinform me about try-outs this time. I will _not_ repeat what happened last year."

"Don't tell me you didn't enjoy it, love," Sirius added. She glowered at Sirius. Remus exchanged an eye roll with Dorcas. She sighed and grabbed Marlene by the arm, dragging her away before Marlene tried to hex Sirius.

"See you lot later," Dorcas called, winking at them.

"You can practically feel the sexual tension, Padfoot," Peter said, pretending to grab at the air. Sirius punched Peter on the shoulder.

James sighed, "Pete's right, though. You two need to date already."

"_Please_, mate. Dorcas and I don't really go well," Sirius answered still staring down the corridor.

"You know who I'm talking about," James told him, staring at Sirius with a peculiar expression. Sirius glanced over at James and sighed.

"We're not into each other like that. We tried it before, if you don't remember."

"So you're into each other as shag buddies?" James asked sarcastically.

"Oi, we're more like mates with benefits." James laughed at the term and Sirius continued, nonchalantly, "She talks to much, anyway."

Remus shook his head and Peter reached out to open the compartment door. Almost everyone in the school knew the back compartment was reserved for the Marauders. Remus had always wondered when exactly the rest of the school began to treat him and his friends with such revere. It was rather odd to him.

To Remus' surprise, the compartment was already occupied by a few fifth years. Victoria Black and a wiry brown haired boy were snuggling in the corner. A small dark haired boy (Alexander Greengrass, the Slytherin Keeper, Remus remembered) was sitting near the window talking animatedly to Sasha Dearborn. The latter was standing on the seat, trying to stuff her carry-on bag into the overhead rack.

Sirius and James looked irritated. Remus was aware of James and Sirius' dislike of Sasha Dearborn and Victoria Black, respectively. Victoria Black, being Sirius's cousin, wasn't on the most civil terms with Sirius. She had inherited the typical Black family physical traits; black hair, sarcasm, good looks, and regal features, but her eyes were a dark bluish-violet instead of stormy gray.

Sasha Dearborn was James's second cousin (or something like that) and they weren't very civil with each other, either. Sasha and James had similar hazel eyes, but that was as close as they got in looks, since Sasha had wavy, auburn hair and freckles.

Victoria Black and Sasha Dearborn were both bigoted Slytherin as far as Remus knew. Most of the conversations between his friends and these girls ended in hexes, yelling, and/or snide remarks. Ironically enough, these two girls were best friends.

Alexander looked up in surprise, "Potter?" Sasha turned her head slightly and, after catching sight of James, dropped her bag on Alexander. Alexander recoiled barely avoiding getting hit by the heavy bag and Sasha murmured a hurried apology. She looked really anxious, actually. Victoria and the wiry boy both jumped apart, looking confused. Sirius was glaring at Victoria, who glared right back at him.

"What are _you lot_ doing in our compartment?" Sirius asked, incensed. His tone was dripping with disgust. Remus looked between them curiously. Sirius wasn't usually outright angry with his cousin.

"_Your _compartment? I don't see a sign or anything," Alexander narrowed his eyes at the Marauders.

"Actually there's one on the door," Peter said, pointing. _Marauders and friends only, _was carved crudely in tiny letters on the door. Peter had carved that a long, long time ago. It seemed quite silly to Remus, to be honest. Alexander frowned. Peter figured he wasn't expecting an actual sign. Well, _ha_, Peter thought happily.

Sirius smirked, "Exactly and, last time I checked, we're not friends."

"For once, I agree with you, dear cousin," Victoria answered. A flicker of something unrecognizable passed through her eyes. "However, we were here first. Deal with it."

Sirius only smirked, "Well, what would dear Auntie and Uncle say when they find out their only daughter was snogging a halfblood? And a Hufflepuff, no less. No offense or anything, Bell."

"Yeah, um, none taken. Well, I'm going to leave now. Bye, Tori," He looked really nervous as he squeezed through the compartment door and hurried away. The coward was running away, Sirius realized. Sirius found this strangely hilarious.

Victoria turned towards Sirius furiously, "It's none of your business, seeing as you're not family. Also, for your information, Mum and Dad already know about Aaron."

"They do?" Alexander asked in surprise. Sasha stepped on his foot, "Ow! What was that for?" Victoria threw him an exasperated look and Sirius smirked.

"You have some very clueless friends," Peter observed.

"Oh, shut up. Nobody asked _you_," Victoria told him.

"Don't talk to him like that," Sirius stared at her coldly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt your boyfriend's feelings?"

Sirius laughed humorlessly, "Haha. You're _hilarious._ At least I know how to _keep_ a boyfriend. I'm not even into boys, either." Victoria's mouth dropped open in shock.

"Coming from the boy who can't keep a girlfriend?" Sasha asked, glaring. She was keeping uncharacteristically quiet, earlier, but the jibe at her best friend had provoked her.

"Really? Do you even _know_ me?" Sirius asked. Remus smiled a little. Sirius didn't try to keep girlfriends. He always had really short relationships. Remus always thought it was on purpose actually.

"A better question would be: Do _we_ even know _you_?" James asked, in a cutting tone.

"I'd _hope _you knew me, Potter. You can't be _that_ stupid," She said, implications coloring her tone.

James glared at her, his hands curled into a fists, "I've got a lovely idea for you. Fuck off before I hex you and your lot into the next decade."

Sasha rolled her hazel eyes, "Oh, please, Potter. You're not scary, at all. Get off your high horse, yeah?" Suddenly the tension in the room hit a high as James, Sirius, Remus, Victoria, and Sasha had their wands out at the ready. Peter and Alexander watched in slight awe and alarm, reacting slowly.

"The difference between us and your lot is that we actually go through with our threats," Sirius said.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you both know quite a bit about how our lot can go through with threats," Victoria goaded, smirking a little.

"And honestly, you lot are as threatening as a flower," Sasha finished.

Victoria nodded, "_Almost _as threatening as a…lily flower, perhaps?" She smirked at James's frown, "Ooo, have I struck a nerve? I love it when I do that."

Remus regarded Victoria with cold indifference, "You've struck one too many nerves today. Can't you just leave without pissing off everyone around you? It's really not that hard, is it?" To Remus's slight puzzlement, a hurt look crossed her face. Sasha glanced at Victoria, worriedly.

As quickly as it came, the changes of expressions were gone.

Victoria and Sasha were both seething. Without another word, Victoria grabbed her bag and walked out. Alexander followed, after a second of confusion. Sasha trailed after them, without sparing the Marauders a second glance.

"Well, that was just fucking lovely. Really made my day," James muttered, slamming the door shut.

"Don't let it get to you, mate. They're just a bunch of prats," Peter said, encouragingly. Sirius gave James a knowing look. Remus stared at the latter two curiously.

"What?" James asked, as innocently as he could.

"You're not telling us something," Remus observed. Peter looked up, confused.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not," James sighed.

"I thought we weren't supposed to be keeping secrets?" Peter asked, frowning slightly.

"I wasn't going to keep it a secret, Wormtail," James let out a sigh. Remus crossed his arms, expectantly. "Okay, well I guess a lot of shit happened over break…"

/~/~/~/~/~/

"So, basically, everyone's break was quite shitty this year?" Kaya Johnson concluded.

"Speak for yourself. Mine wasn't that bad," Alice Prewett told her, taking a bite of her Chocolate Frog.

Alice was seated next to the window with a couple Chocolate Frogs in her possession. Sitting on her right was Lily Evans, red hair as vibrant as ever. Across from Alice, Kaya sat cross-legged, munching on a Cauldron Cake. Lastly, seated on the compartment floor, legs straddled, sat Mary Macdonald, looking much more interested in her muggle magazine than in the conversation currently taking place.

"Alice, you never find anything bad," Kaya told her pointedly.

Lily nodded. Alice was a sweetheart who had something good to say about everything. "I have to agree with Kaya on that one. You like _everything_."

Alice pouted, "Noooo. I don't like lots of things."

Lily raised her eyebrow questioningly and Kaya looked up curiously, "Like what?"

"I don't like Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

"That's a given, isn't it?" Kaya asked, rolling her eyes.

"Who cares if it's a given? The man is utterly mental," Lily told Kaya.

Alice nodded, "The worst part is that people are actually supporting him." Lily stared at her hands. Honestly, she wondered how long they would go before they would get to this topic. She _hated_ what Voldemort stood for. She also didn't understand the support for the madman. It just didn't make sense. One of the worst disadvantages of being a muggle-born was being so distant from the Wizarding World. Lots of things still didn't make sense to her.

After a moment's silence, Alice continued, "You don't think he'd attack Hogwarts, do you?"

Kaya shook her head fiercely, "He wouldn't dare. Not with Dumbledore around."

"Dumbledore's only one person, though," Alice said slowly, staring at Mary and her magazine.

Kaya frowned, "But one Dumbledore is equivalent to an entire army. Anyway, we've got those Ministry Aurors." Alice looked tired.

Mary looked up from her magazine, speaking for the first time, interest twinkling in her eyes, "There's strength in numbers. Voldemort's gotten quite a bit of support."

Kaya stared at Mary, "Yeah but I still don't think he'd be stupid enough to attack Hogwarts. It's pretty obvious he's scared of Dumbledore."

"So that makes Dumbledore his number one enemy, yeah?" Lily asked. Alice nodded. Lily bit her lip thoughtfully, "Don't evil villains usually try to take down the enemy first before doing anything else? It always happens in books."

Kaya glanced at Lily, "I hope you're not thinking of assassins. That's _so _cliché."

Alice giggled, rolling her eyes, then suddenly stopped. Her eyes widened in revelation, "Maybe something like infiltration—oh, get your mind out of the gutter Kaya—You know, like…spies or something?" Lily stared at Alice for a second, processing. She started nodding her head along with Alice.

Kaya stared back and forth between the two girls, "You really think Voldemort would enlist children to assassinate _or _spy on Dumbledore? That would never work."

Lily smiled, a little. Kaya was right. Getting a bunch of teenagers to spy on Dumbledore would most likely fail miserably. She sighed. Maybe they were wrong with the espionage theory.

"I just don't like the idea that Voldemort could be up to something and we have to just wait around and see what happens." Lily said, exhaling noisily. "I don't like feeling so…helpless against what he's planning." Alice nodded.

"Sometimes, I wish I didn't know about all this Dark Wizard business. Be a muggle or something," Alice sighed staring out the window.

Mary spoke up, "Ignorance is bliss, Alice. But knowledge is power."

"Oh, how I've missed your intelligent sayings Mary," Kaya giggled, trying to hug Mary. Alice rolled her eyes and reached for Mary's muggle magazine while Lily chuckled. Their conversation was forgotten at the moment.

/~/~/~/~/~/

The first look of Hogwarts was always the most breathtaking. Students, new and old, stared at the castle twinkling in the dark warmly.

The feast was as delicious as ever and the sorting went smoothly. Everything was cheerful and lovely and the Great Hall ceiling twinkled brightly. Dumbledore stood and the Great Hall fell quiet.

"I hope you all enjoyed your supper. It was quite delicious, thanks to our wonderful house elves. I understand that tonight should be joyful but there are some small matters I must relay to you all. Mr Filch has asked me to inform the students that all Zonko's products are banned and he promises punishment for those who do not heed by his rules. Furthermore, I'd like to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is still very much forbidden, as is being in the corridors after curfew. Late night exploration is ill advised and this includes the elder students, as well," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he scanned the faces of his students, lingering on the Gryffindor table for a moment longer.

"I have one last thing to say, before your prefects show you to your dormitories," Dumbledore's tone became abruptly more serious, "These are dangerous times, as you know, and therefore the Ministry has sent a few Aurors to patrol Hogwarts. I request that we all stay unified during these tough times and, if anything suspicious or otherwise out of place occurs, please report it as quickly as possible. Once again, it would be of your best interest to avoid being out of bed after hours." Dumbledore paused, allowing his words to sink in.

Dumbledore, then, continued in a much more lighthearted tone, "It has been a long day for all of us, I am sure. Let us retire to our warm beds and sleep peacefully. Prefects, if you please." With that, students began to file out of the Great Hall, as the prefects called the first years forward.

/~/~/~/~/~/

"Hey, Lily!" the Head Boy called from behind her. Lily turned around to find Frank Longbottom beckoning her towards where he stood, surrounded by a dozen or so first years. Lily waved goodbye to her friends, and walked over to Frank.

"Hey Frank. Long time no see," Lily smiled at him. He had changed quite a bit over the summer, growing at least two inches and finally getting that haircut he had needed since fourth year. Lily mentioned that and Frank grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. Tease me on your own time, Evans. I was actually wondering if you could take the first years up to the dorms? I wouldn't have asked you, but I need to go talk to Dumbledore and—" Frank began.

Lily interrupted Frank's ramblings quickly, "It's fine, Frank. I'm going in that direction, anyway."

Frank smiled gratefully, "Thanks, Evans. Oh, and thanks for volunteering to patrol tonight," Lily smiled as shooed Frank away.

Lily had signed up for patrols that night. She really didn't know _why_ she wanted to patrol on the very first night back, but nobody else had wanted to do it. She figured she might as well step up and, honestly, she loved the thinking time she had from patrolling. Though Lily felt that she really didn't need or _want _to think about things, at the moment. The Ministry aurors at Hogwarts made her nervous.

Lily sighed and called in her authoritative voice, "First years! Follow me please and stay together." She trekked up the moving staircases, stopping once in a while so the first years could keep up. "Watch out for the trick step!" She added as she skipped over one of many trick steps on the Hogwarts stairs. Of course, a few unfortunate first years were too awed with their surrounding to pay attention to Lily's orders.

Loud shrieks emanated from the group behind her and quite a few pitying sighs and teasing laughs filled the air. Lily turned, trying to suppress a smile, and helped up a small brunette boy, who looked absolutely mortified. She never remembered being _that_ small in her first year. She turned to get the girl who had fallen as well but was met, instead, by a familiar brunette boy. It was Remus Lupin.

Smiling, she called to the first years to follow her, falling in step with Remus. "Hullo Remus. How was your break? Anything interesting happen?"

Remus shook his head. "Nothing too interesting, just the usual. What about you?"

"Nothing much here either. Fighting with my sister, normal things."

Remus shook his head looking amused, "I'm quite sure something interesting happened. Nobody in their right mind would have volunteered to patrol on the first day back, unless something 'interesting' happened."

Lily shrugged, "Who said I was right in the mind? And I don't mind patrolling. It can be fun." Remus raised an eyebrow skeptically and Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't look at me like that, Remus. Damian Dearborn is patrolling, too. Therefore, I'm not the only mental one."

"But he was chosen by Frank," Remus added.

"Oh, those are just small details. Completely unimportant."

Remus laughed, "You are quite mental."

"_Thanks_, Remus," Lily replied, sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure we've covered that topic already."

"You should watch out for Damian Dearborn, though. He's not exactly…good company," Remus said, vaguely.

Lily nodded, "I know that. I wasn't planning on becoming best mates with the boy," she eyed Remus curiously, "Why the sudden advice, Remus?" His expression made her wonder if there was more to Dearborn than Remus had let on.

"No reason."

Lily frowned, "Fine. Don't tell me. Anyway, thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself quite well. Just ask your friends." Remus smirked.

"I'm sure half the school are familiar with how well you take care of yourself. I just thought I'd remind you, that's all."

Lily smiled, "Well, I assure you, if Dearborn tries anything I'll hex him so far into space, the Doctor won't be able to find him." Remus raised his eyebrows, grinning. Lily rolled her eyes.

Before Lily could respond, they had reached the portrait hole to Gryffindor tower and Lily turned to the first years and explained about Gryffindor tower and passwords. "The password is…" Lily turned to the Fat Lady. "Giddyroots."

"Welcome to Gryffindor tower," the Fat Lady exclaimed happily to the first years, clapping her hands. Lily pointed out the dorm entrances, giving them a quick briefing on the rules. She then left the first years to explore in awe.

Lily found Alice and Kaya up in the sixth year dormitory, unpacking their things. Actually, they were just waving their wands while sitting on their beds, so it was probably one of the laziest ways of unpacking ever. What else was magic for? She began piling her books magically against the foot of the bed.

After a while, they were seated on Kaya's bed passing a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans around and talking more in depth about the summer gossip. Alice mentioned a few boys who had gotten quite fit over the summer while Lily and Kaya agreed or disagreed with her.

Lily rolled her eyes when Kaya said that she heard Prudence Shilling and Matt Finnigan had broken up again. They broke up and got back together every week for the past three years. Lily looked up suddenly remembering something.

"Where's Mary?" Lily asked, taking a red bean out of the bag. It was strawberry flavored. Alice shrugged and Kaya shook her head. "Okay…What about Emmeline and Clare?"

Kaya shrugged, "They're all probably in the common room." Lily looked down at her wristwatch and yelped at the time. She was running late. Quickly grabbing her shoes, she called goodbye to her friends and headed out.

/~/~/~/~/~/

Lily had to admit that the castle was a bit creepy at night. The corridors were dark and she was engulfed in silence. An hour and a half ago, she had spoken to Damian Dearborn and Filch. Damian hadn't bothered patrolling with her so now she was wandering the halls alone. Honestly, she would have preferred patrolling with Damian and enduring his constant sneers than walking around alone in the corridors.

The castle felt too big and Lily felt overexposed. She really didn't know _why_ she felt so uncomfortable. There were Ministry trained Aurors protecting Hogwarts now. She should have felt perfectly safe and content. The danger of Voldemort's threats felt more…real to Lily now.

Lily wandered through the corridors, lost in her mind, until she thought she heard voices coming from down the hall. She raised her lighted wand, peering down the semi-dark corridor. Maybe it was just a part of her imagination. Lily looked around and determined that she was on the first floor, near the stairs down to the dungeons. She sighed looking down the corridor one last time.

Lily could have sworn she saw movement on the other end of the corridor. She was sure this corridor was a dead end, a suit of armor standing against the wall. If there were someone down the hall, they would definitely be stuck. She treaded down the hall; to make sure nobody was down there.

Lily raised her lit wand and bright light reflected back at her against the armor. She stared up at the suit of armor, a little fascinated. It was a head taller than her and seemed different from the other armored knights she'd seen around the castle. She glanced back down at its chest, which formed curious shapes of reflected light.

Lines. She could see lines etched into the armor. Lily slowly moved her wand arm until the lines became more visible. Pushing her hair out of her face, she examined the strange markings.

They were etched into a peculiar pattern that seemed to point upwards. Lily could feel the tiny lines against her fingertips and followed the peculiar lines up to the knight's head. She didn't know what these lines meant. They didn't look like runes, but they definitely weren't random scratches on metal either. Shrugging, Lily reached up to open the suit's metal mouth flap when something pushed her hard from behind, violently shoving her forward.

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><p><strong>:O shenanigans. <strong>

**Anyway, I'll try to update soon. Thanks you to _valenari_ and _aj_ for reviewing and thanks to those for alerting the story. It means a lot to me! :D**

**Virtual fudge and plethora of hugs FOR ALL~**

**Review&Enjoy :)  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Dark and Light

**DISCLAIMER: Owned by the queen J.K. Rowling.  
><strong>

**I think this was a pretty quick update. Yay! Thanks for the people who alerted this :) I would love reviews though. Pleaseeee?**

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><p><em>Chapter 3- Dark and Light<em>

"_By forgetting the past and by throwing myself into other interests, I forget to worry."_**_ ~Jack Dempsey_**

Lily shrieked as she fell against the suit of armor, bringing it down with her. Pain shot through her stomach as she landed on a particularly sharp part of the armor. Something fell on top of her, squishing her arm between the armor and her body. It turned out the 'something' crushing her was actually a 'someone', since his rather loud cursing was pounding against her eardrums.

"Ow, ow, _ow_! Gerroff me!" A white light glowed over her, and she could see a shadow of a head.

"_Evans_?" The voice belonged to Sirius Black.

"The one and only," Lily replied, nursing her wounded arm, a fierce look directed at Sirius.

"Wait, what are _you_ doing out here after curfew?" Another voice cut in, surprised. Lily found it a little insulting that he expected her to be so straight-laced. Lily closed her eyes in annoyance. Obviously, Lady Fate decided to screw with her today. James Potter was the _last person_ she wanted to see right now.

"Oh, please, Potter. I have permission to be out here. I'm patrolling. But I can't say the same about you two, can I?" Lily asked, glaring at James as she pulled herself up from the cold floor. She rubbed her tummy, wincing. She was definitely going to be sore tomorrow. "Was attacking me part of tonight's agenda?"

"Don't flatter yourself, Evans. We weren't planning on attacking you. It was an accident," James said rolling his eyes.

"Then what are you doing here?" Lily asked, crossing her arms.

"Don't worry about it," Sirius answered, waving his wand once. The dismantled suit of armor flew back into place, against the wall. Lily grabbed her wand from where it fell earlier.

"Well I _am_ worrying about it, Black. Since, you know, it's against the rules for you two to be out of bed right now."

"Oh, come off it Evans. Nobody got hurt. Stop trying to suck the fun out of everything," James muttered. Lily narrowed her eyes at him. He seemed to have forgotten that _she_ had gotten hurt.

"You're idea of fun is a bit demented, in my opinion."

"Yet I never asked you for your opinion," James answered. Lily shot James a withering glare, while the latter grinned.

"Anyway, you seemed like you enjoyed the knight, Evans. You know, being swept off your feet by shining armor or something. You _were_ caressing the thing," Sirius added, smirking.

"You're _hilarious_, Black."

"I'm glad you finally figured that one out."

Lily shook her head and crossed her arms, "I wasn't _caressing_ the armor either, for your information. I was just checking some—" She broke off, staring curiously at James. He was poking Sirius in the arm, obviously trying to be discreet about it. They both seemed to be staring in Lily's direction. Lily touched her hair, self-consciously. "_What?_"

Sirius was the first to speak, "Nothing, Evans. We should leave now. Don't you think we should leave now, James? _I _think we should leave _now_."

James nodded vigorously, "Yeah, I agree Sirius. Let's leave now. Come along, Evans. I think you've harassed the knight enough."

Lily stared back and forth between the boys, eyebrows raised. They were definitely up to something. "Nah. I think I'm going to stay here." She began to turn away from them as Sirius called her name, a little frantically. "Honestly, Black. I know you're trying to hide something. You are horrible at— _Blimey_."

Partially hidden behind the suit of armor was a dark opening in the wall. A passageway. Lily stared at the dark doorway in awe. She hadn't discovered a secret Hogwarts room since third year. And that one was just an empty space with a mirror. Lily remembered the mirror had shown her and Petunia as friends again. She never found that room ever again. Lily turned back to Sirius and James.

"Is _this _what you two were here for?"

"Once again, don't worry about it," Sirius answered, irritation colored his tone. Lily huffed in frustration. It wasn't like she was going to tell the whole world about this.

"Fine. You don't have to tell me anything," Lily paused, hoping they _would _say something. Honestly, this was like talking to a brick wall. "So...who wants to go in first?"

James looked up at Lily, startled, "What?" Sirius smirked at James who shot him a dangerous look.

"I _asked _who wanted to go into the creepy, secret hole first. We _are_ exploring it, yeah?"

James and Sirius stared at Lily, incredulously, "_You _want to go with us?"

Lily threw her hands up in exasperation, "Do you two honestly think I'm that much of a…of a…" She scrambled for a decent word.

"Killjoy," James finished.

"Yeah, that's right. Thanks. I know how to—_Wait_—hey! I am _not _a killjoy, you git."

"Do you prefer prude or…?"

Sirius cut in, before Lily could snap back at James, "Before I have to sit through this conversation, _again_, let's get one thing straight, Evans. Prongs and I are going exploring. _You_ are not."

"I didn't ask you for permission, Black."

Sirius shrugged. "Honestly, I don't like you much, Evans. Neither does James. We go explore together and people might not come back." Sirius took on an ominous tone.

"You're a murderer now, are you?"

"Oh yeah. They call me Black the Ripper."

Lily snorted despite herself. "That was terribly corny, Black."

Sirius smiled, "Yet you still laughed." A mischievous glint appeared in Sirius's gray eyes. "_Actually_, I changed my mind. You can come with us."

James shot Sirius a quizzical look that Lily did not miss.

"Come along, Evans. At your own risk, of course," Sirius finished. Lily beamed at the boys, in anticipation.

"I would thank you, but I don't like you very much, Black," Sirius grinned cockily as if to question Lily's statement. "Oh, we're not breaking any rules are we? I don't want to get expelled." She added as an afterthought, a little anxiously.

James rolled his eyes, towards the ceiling, in aggravation and sauntered over to the passage entrance. Sirius, also, completely ignored Lily's question and walked over towards the knight. Sirius seemed to know exactly what to do. She wondered how many hidden passages the Marauders have found in the past.

Lily followed behind James and Sirius, holding her lit wand high. They stopped just inside the entrance waiting for James to hide the entrance. The knight slid in front of the opening, blocking most of the corridor torchlights from view.

"Why exactly did you want to come with us?" James asked after a moment of silent walking on the rocky, dirt path.

Lily was actually very curious about where this pathway led. She always liked the idea of adventures. She and Petunia would always pretend to go on adventures at the park before Lily turned eleven. And, later on, she would play similar games with Sev during the…Lily grimaced, shaking her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Lily really, really did not want to think about those things right now. She realized Potter was waiting for an answer.

Lily shrugged, "I dunno. I was just curious."

"You know what they say, Evans. 'Curiosity killed the cat.'" James said, mockingly.

"I'm really starting to doubt that you lot aren't murderers. Also, it's so much better to say 'curiosity killed the dog,'" Lily replied, stepping over a large rock.

"…Why?" Sirius asked. Lily could see Sirius tense up ever so slightly under the dim wand light. Lily glanced at him inquiringly. Did these two always act this…suspicious?

"Because I don't like cats. I'm allergic to them so I'd rather not have you compare me to them." Lily heard James exhale softly ahead of her.

Lily paused for a moment, watching their backs. Wariness hit her in waves. Part of it was directed towards the two Marauders, in front of her. The other half was…It was directed towards herself. Towards something that had been bugging her constantly, for what seemed like hours. It was something she kept forgetting. Lily knew she wasn't just curious about her new findings by going on this exploration. She was also trying to distract herself.

But, for some strange reason, Lily didn't know _what_ she was trying to distract herself from. She could feel the memory at the edge of her mind but she couldn't grasp onto it. It was out of her reach. What had she forgotten? Why did she feel as if it was very important for her to figure it out?

"Come on, Evans. Or we'll leave you down here," Potter's voice broke Lily's train of thoughts. Lily glanced around, pushing her hair away from her eyes. She really needed to borrow Alice's remembrall.

/~/~/~/~/~/

"No one can know of our plans. Get rid of the evidence." A voice echoed all around. Another sound of snickering and assent collided against his eardrums. _Death_, it said.

White light burst throughout the clearing. He was graciously given a brief glimpse of dark, old trees all around before dazzling starbursts clouded his vision. He felt something cold fill him up, sending him to the edge between pain and serenity. It was line he never wished to cross before, until now.

He became engulfed in a sudden and permanent darkness.

/~/~/~/~/~/

"Don't do it, Damian. This is like the incident with Uncle all over again. You need to stop," Sasha Dearborn hissed.

"This is none of your concern, little sister," Damian Dearborn muttered, pivoting on his heels. Sasha gripped his arm.

"This is _completely_ my concern," The fifth year answered back, sounding slightly offended. "Who? Who was it they told you to…?" Damian jerked his arm from her grasp.

"How the hell do you know so much about this? It's none of your damn business."

"That's because I'm not as oblivious as you think. I live in the same house as you, don't I?"

"That's not the only way, is it?" Damian said, with obvious implications. Sasha blinked and then stared back at Damian angrily.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sasha asked, her voice rising in anger. She knew exactly what he meant. She just wanted him to say it out loud. Then she'd have a real reason to hex him.

"Oh, I don't know. Let's ask the never ending list of blokes you've—"

"You two are being really loud," Peter Pettigrew pointed out. Sasha jumped nearly a foot in the air. Damian just glared. Peter shrugged as Remus Lupin walked into the room.

"Wormtail. You can't just—Oh. What's going on here?" Lupin asked, distrustfully. He could clearly see the tension between the siblings.

"None of your business, you halfblood filth," Damian sneered. "Family matters, that's all."

"But this isn't _just_ family matters, Damian. This is—" She stopped speaking as if remembering who was in the room. Remus stared at Sasha coldly. Sasha glanced down at her shoes then stared at her brother defiantly.

"Forget it. I'm done trying to help and reason with you," Sasha marched out the room, Peter moving out of her path, avoiding nearly being trampled.

From what James had told him, Remus knew how dangerous the Dearborns could be. But he was confused as to what Damian Dearborn would need help. Remus spared on last look at Damian and turned to leave. James and Sirius were waiting for them.

Peter looked around awkwardly, "Um, well, bye or something…" He hurried out after Remus.

Damian slowly broke out into a grin. He had finally figured out the solution. He laughed softly. _Forget it. _How ironic that his sister had helped him, the one time she hadn't meant to…

/~/~/~/~/~/

A white light flashes

Blinding the mind.

A green light burns,

Forever confined.

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><p><strong>Alrighty then. Short and sweet. I'm trying to change up the writing styles, btw. (but I am hopelessly embarassed by my poetry. omg) <strong>

**Questions for youuuu: Which POVs/writing styles do you like better? And what do you think of the story so far?**

**Reviews please! I really need some feedback on my writing at the moment.**

**Virtual Cookies and Bubble Tea for all those who review!**

**xxx**


	4. Chapter 4: Under Control

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the people who have completely original names, which is like one character. Also editing this to make Hestia brunette because SHE'S NOT BLONDE WOOPS.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 4: Under Control <em>

_"Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence."__** ~ Buddha**_

Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew tread quietly down the dark corridor. They were expecting two dark haired boys waiting at the end of the corridor. Not a crudely hidden, _open_, passageway. Peter pouted, irritably. He was the one who had discovered the passage at the end of fifth year (in quite an embarrassing way, actually) and the others had promised he'd be the first to explore it.

"You don't think they're too far inside, do you?" Peter asked, peering around the giant suit of armor.

Remus shrugged, "Probably. I don't understand why they went in without us."

"Do you think something happened?"

Remus didn't answer. Instead he waved his wand; the suit of armor scooted away from the entrance. Remus beckoned towards Peter, "We'd better go after them or else those idiots will never be able to make it out alive." Peter nodded, his eyes lighting up. He always felt giddy whenever he went exploring. It was a kind of thrill, an adrenaline rush, of sorts, no matter how many years he had done this.

The two Marauders were about to make their way into the tunnel when they saw a light bobbing up and down at the end of the corridor.

"Filch," Peter hissed, staring down the corridor in horror. Quickly, Remus waved his wand intricately. The knight seemed to grow quickly in size, enough to completely cover the secret entrance.

"Those two owe us big time," Remus muttered, irately. Peter nodded vigorously, as a cackling Filch rushed towards them.

/~/~/~/~/~/

"Thanks, Twilly. These moon cakes are delicious," Mary MacDonald said as she turned away from the kitchens. The house elf waved cheerily. Mary had not originally planned on coming down to the kitchens, however once she realized there were no moon cakes at the feast, she just had to get her hands on some. Truthfully, she was _supposed_ to be meeting someone right now. Mary shrugged it off, indulging in the sweet pastry. He could wait a while longer, especially since he was the one that called her down.

Mary recalled the boy she was meeting near the Ravenclaw tower. Benjy Fenwick was his name. A strange name, in her opinion. He wasn't even a Ravenclaw, either. Well, he was _officially_ a Ravenclaw, but Mary believed Benjy had more Slytherin traits than anyone realized, even Benjy himself.

Mary sighed. She was being quite a slag, though, wasn't she? Sneaking around with a boy and doing things she only ever read of in books. Of course, this was a secret relationship, only rendezvousing at night and barely speaking during the day. Why? Well, the boy in question was taken of course. By the beautiful, clever, and _ridiculously _nice Emmeline Vance.

Mary sighed. She had already finished her moon cakes and had half a mind to go back to the kitchens for more. Maybe she could go talk to Xeno, who was most likely at the greenhouses. She really did want to know more about those Blubbering Humdingers he kept talking about.

A deep voice interrupted Mary's thoughts, "Mary! I was looking all over for you." Benjy Fenwick spoke softly as he walked towards her, pulling her much too close, right into an alcove behind one of those statues.

The universe obviously wanted Mary to meet Fenwick tonight.

"I guess you didn't look hard enough," Mary murmured.

"I missed you, you know," he whispered, getting uncomfortably close. Mary crossed her arms, across her body. "What's wrong, Mare? If you're worried about Emmeline, she's sound asleep. Trust me." Mary guessed that Lily's highly moral ideologies were rubbing off on her as she had the sudden urge to curl up in her room, watch _Willy Wonka, _and eat a tub of ice cream. She felt guilty and, to be honest, it was a new feeling. Ever since Kaya had stayed over at her house, Mary couldn't shake away this feeling. It was probably due to Kaya and her situation with her parents.

Mary pursed her lips, "This is the first night back, Benjy. Shouldn't you be spending it with _your girlfriend_?" Mary tried to sound forceful except it came out sounding more like a suggestion. Why must she be cursed with such a soft, airy voice? It was maddening.

Benjy raised his eyebrow, "Not getting cold feet _now_, are you?" He had a point. They had been meeting up since June. One of Benjy's hands trailed down her side and the other traced her face. She closed her eyes. Why on earth was she feeling guilty now_, _after so many months?

Mary hated it when her feelings took over too much. She liked reasoning with her mind, not her heart. She was supposed to be the rational one.

"No. My feet are very warm. It's just… I don't want Emmeline to get hurt," Mary wasn't looking at his face. Instead she stared out the open window across the corridor while trying to force down her feelings and ignore his trailing hands.

"She won't get hurt if she doesn't find out, love," Benjy murmured in her ear. After a minute or so of Mary not responding, he stopped, altogether. Benjy's face was flushed and he rolled his dark brown eyes as he pulled away from her.

"Since when did you worry so damn much about my business?" Did he honestly think this _wasn't_ her business? Mary turned her gaze back on him. "Don't look at me like that," he snapped.

"Like what?" She asked, curiously.

"Like—Like _that_. As if you know exactly what I'm thinking."

"But… I don't." Mary felt more confused than ever. Maybe she should have been more understanding of Kaya. Confusion wasn't easy to get rid of. "I was just telling you that what was bugging me." There was a few seconds of silence as Benjy stared at Mary intently, sizing her up. She bit her lip, uncomfortably.

Then Benjy smiled tightly, "You know, I've got a brill idea, Macdonald. You can go worry somewhere else, while I go to bed. Give me a shout when you're _not_ being a such a…when you get back to normal, yeah?" Then he left, without another word. Mary watched him go. How was she going to return to normal if she never changed in the first place?

Mary stepped out from behind the alcove without checking the corridor beforehand, breaking the first rule of sneaking around after curfew. Filch appeared right around the corner. Naturally.

"Hey! You, there! Stop and hold your hands where I can see them," Filch screeched. A few portraits muttered some choice words Mary was sure they picked up from the students. Those kinds of words couldn't have existed in the ancient times. Mary couldn't help but grin at how much Filch sounded like a Muggle policeman from those Muggle movies.

Filch sneered at Mary, "You snotty Gryffindor brats seem think you're so priviledged, prancing about after curfew on the very first day back. Quite a new record, I think," He shook his head in disgust, "Back when I was a young lad, this kind of thing would never have happened. If only the Headmaster would let me teach you snotty teenagers a thing or two about how Hogwarts _used_ to be," He glared at Mary as if she was a disgusting cockroach. Mary smiled back pleasantly. She had always found Mr Filch funny. "Come with me, and wipe that grin off your face. You're not going to be able to weasel yourself out of a proper punishment this time."

Mary wondered whether Filch had mixed her up with someone else. She had never gotten caught sneaking around but apparently Filch thought she had 'weaseled' out of trouble before.

Filch escorted her through the castle, making snide comments all the way. They arrived at the abandoned classroom next to his office. He grinned wickedly as he opened the door; either pleased with catching so many of those Gryffindor he was talking about earlier or he had thought of a 'proper punishment'. Mary smiled entertained with the idea of what Filch would come up with.

"_Mary!_ What are you doing here?" a girl's familiar voice called to her. Mary turned to her best friend, Lily Evans, with a curious stare. Lily smiled sheepishly, shrugging a little.

"Shut it, girl! Criminals aren't allowed to speak here," Filch shrieked.

"I am not a criminal! If you would just listen—"

"I told you to _be quiet_!" Filch demanded.

Lily made a face at Filch and crossed her arms. She sat in one of the desks, ink stains all over her clothes and hands. Wait, no. It was actually…_dirt _and a lot of it too. Lounging next to her was James Potter, disheveled and smirking. Sirius Black sat with his feet up on the desk, face streaked with dirt, and an inquisitive eyebrow raised at Mary. Filch glared at Sirius and his feet, putting a whole new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill'.

Mary's brain immediately began to reel, trying to figure out what they had been up to. Mary glanced around the room. There sat Remus Lupin, just as cross as Lily; Peter Pettigrew, looking positively thrilled about being in Filch's criminal holding area; a tiny, birdlike girl with black hair, who looked very familiar; and a cute, baby faced, brown-haired boy. Filch was right; they were all Gryffindor.

Their house was going to be deeply in the negatives when Filch was done with them…

/~/~/~/~/~/

"Since when did _he_ get the authority to take house points?" Sirius muttered after the door slammed shut. He sneered at Mrs. Norris for good measure, who hissed before stalking off. Lily glared at Sirius, disdainfully, not wanting him to aggravate the cat any further. Even though Madame Pomfrey had given her some amazing allergy potions, Lily still didn't feel comfortable around cats. She remembered the first time she broke out into hives and she really wasn't in the mood for _that _again.

"He doesn't have the authority to take points, but if he talks to McGonagall…" the tiny girl trailed off. Lily looked over at her. She looked awfully familiar.

"Who are _you_?" Sirius asked the girl, curtly. Splotches of pink filled the girl's cheeks and the boy next to her shuffled in his seat, uncomfortably. Lily, being the closest, smacked Black in the arm, while the rest of the group grimaced at him. "What? We were all thinking it, weren't we?"

"Shut _up_."

"Oh, um, I'm a fourth year. My name's Hestia Jones," the girl squeaked, still a little pink.

"You're in Herbology club, aren't you?" Mary asked, from where she sat, next to Peter.

Hestia nodded, hesitantly, "How do you know?"

"I didn't know." Mary replied with a shrug.

James snorted, appreciatively. Lily glanced at him. This was probably one of the first times he found Mary humorous. Potter was probably making fun of Mary for all Lily knew.

Mary turned an inquisitive eye towards Lily, "I thought you were on prefect duty today."

Lily groaned, "That's what I've been trying to tell Filch." Mary raised her eyebrow, obviously not believing Lily. Lily didn't blame her. She _was_ caught with the worst convicts at this school. "Well, it started out as prefect duty…"

"Evans actually wanted to make sure Prongs and I stayed out of trouble," Sirius spoke up, probably trying to keep Lily from saying anything important.

"That didn't turn out very well," Mary observed. Lily smiled sheepishly.

"We would have invited you, MacDonald, but you seemed a bit _busy_," Sirius smirked. Mary stared at Sirius; her curious eyes darkening momentarily. Lily sighed inwardly. Arguments between Mary and Sirius never went well, judging from the few Lily had witnessed. Lily wondered if Mary realized how influential her reactions were on other people. Lily also wondered whether Sirius was oblivious or just plain ignorant of Mary's hatred of him.

Sirius Black was one of _the only_ people Mary genuinelyhated. Lily believed their feud started somewhere between Sirius setting Mary's hair on fire and the "_Great Ditch Incident._"Lily shuddered internally. That was _not _a great day.

"Actually, Black. Why would you—" Mary was cut off by a muffled blast that seemed to shake the whole castle. Tiny particles of dust clouded the air. Lily jumped up in surprise, wand at the ready. What the _hell_? Lily glanced at Potter, who only shook his head in confusion. A second rumble roared through the castle, shaking her bones to the very core. She felt queasy.

"We need to—We need to get out of here," Hestia called, stumbling. The brunette boy caught her before she fell.

Peter made his way to the door. "It's locked!" He groaned, twisting and pulling at the doorknob anxiously. Lily exchanged an exasperated look with Mary, who seemed slightly bemused.

"You're a wizard, aren't you?" Lily asked irritated. Remus snickered. Peter smiled ruefully and reached for his wand. The doorknob blasted off, ricocheting off the wall, towards James.

James ducked, the loose knob lodging itself into the far wall, "Oi Pete, watch it! I really don't need a concussion right now." Peter grinned, apologetically.

Lily stepped out into the Entrance Hall with Mary at her side. The portraits were shrieking in confusion and a few professors were sliding across the hall, still in their nightclothes. Unfortunately, Peeves the Poltergeist, either completely oblivious or completely ignorant of the situation, floated through the halls singing and throwing various objects.

"What the _bloody hell_ is going on?" Potter stared at the scene, more awe in his tone than was acceptable for such a situation.

"_Language_, Potter," Professor McGonagall chastised, appearing beside Black, eyeing them all sternly. Lily unconsciously brushed the dirt off her body, hoping McGonagall wouldn't notice.

"But Professor—," James Potter spoke indignantly.

"No 'buts'!" McGonagall interrupted, "I will not have my students defile this century's old place of learning with such crude language, no matter how dire the situation."

"Dire?" Peter repeated nervously, picking out the word that also stuck out to Lily the most.

"Yes, Mr. Pettigrew, a dire situation. There are Giants storming the gates of Hogwarts."

Lily gaped at the Transfiguration teacher Professor in disbelief. "_Giants?_" she gulped.

"Yes, Miss Evans. Giants." McGonagall repeated with slight irritation at having to repeat herself. "You have heard the recent reports of Giants roaming the British countryside, I assume?" Lily nodded numbly. She never actually believed they would make it to Hogwarts.

"They haven't gotten within the gates," Mary stated, "Why can't they get onto the grounds, Professor? Where's Dumbledore?"

"McGonagall stared at Mary with a peculiar expression, "I do not wish to concern minors in such situations, but if you must know, the staff are doing everything within their power to keep the wards up."

"Couldn't we do some—" Potter began.

"Absolutely not, Potter," Professor McGonagall shook her head, glaring. "These are Giants we are up against, and you are still children."

"We could—"

"No, Potter. The staff has this quite under control. You eight will go and keep your fellow classmates in the dormitories, until further notice. Do you _understand_?"

The Transfiguration teacher stared at Potter until he finally sighed in resignation. "Now to the tower with you." McGonagall turned on her heels as she walked towards the doors. She paused for a moment before calling back at the eight Gryffindors. "And I shall deal with you eight later about breaking curfew." Lily grimaced half hoping the professor had forgotten. Apparently, everyone else was thinking the same thing, judging from their expressions.

Mary skipped ahead of Lily clearly unperturbed by the various objects being thrown in their direction by Peeves. Lily glared at the ghost who merely made a rude gesture at her before flying away in a fit of laughter. Peeves also threw a box filled with potions supplies at her. She shrieked as a jar of beetle eyes and lacewing flies tumbled on top her, pretty sure that a few beetle eyes went into her mouth. Lily shuddered trying to get rid of the bug remains. Lily's scowl deepened when Potter, Black, and Pettigrew snickered at her reactions and she threw a handful of beetle eyes at them. They only laughed harder.

"That was unfortunate," Mary declared. Lily shot her a sarcastic look. Mary giggled pulling the tiny, black eyeballs and thin lacewings out of Lily's hair. Lily sighed, irritated at her bad luck. She _really_needed a long, hot shower after this.

They made their way up the Grand Staircase; the periodic shaking along with the moving staircases made the trip much more difficult than Lily imagined. Peter had nearly fallen through one of the false steps as a particularly strong quake caused him to trip. He managed to miss the trick step and instead knocked into Lily.

She held onto the first thing in her reach as she stumbled towards one of the huge windows. It took her a minute to realize she had been grasping James Potter's arm. They locked eyes for a second before she snatched back her hand, looking away awkwardly. Lily caught a glimpse of Potter running his hand through his hair. She really hated when he did that. Actually, she just really hated James Potter. And it seemed like he hated her too. _Just like he said he would_, a small voice whispered from the deep depths of her mind. Lily shook her head, annoyed that she was think of Potter, off all people.

Lily stared out the huge castle window she had nearly crashed into, with growing dread. The window gave her a full view of the front lawn of Hogwarts. As Lily stared she could start to make out tall, looming shadows just beyond the front gates. They were nearly as tall as the old trees of the Forbidden Forest and two or three times wider. There weren't very many however—at least a dozen of them. Lily wondered fleetingly whether they were lost. Why would giants come to Hogwarts? Why would anyone send them here, to a place full of _children_? It seemed that the giants were violently banging and throwing rocks at an invisible barrier, a flash of sparks coming to life wherever the barrier was hit. Lily watched in horror as one of the giants turned its head in her direction, mid-throw, its once shadowed face illuminated by the white light of the half-moon. Lily couldn't look away from its hideous face and gruesome expression. Its large, murderous eyes seemed to be looking straight at her. Could it _see _her? It seemed to heave the large rock straight towards them but, fortunately, the boulder incinerated against the barrier before reaching its target. Apparently the ward's incineration abilities didn't affect giants. Lily shuddered, her heart pounding loudly inside her chest.

"How long do you think this will last?" Hestia asked softly, to nobody in particular. Lily tore her gaze away from the window to find them also staring out the window, varying degrees of shock and horror on their faces.

"I reckon at least until Dumbledore gets back to school," Sirius answered, stepping back from the window, with a cold look. Lily did have a feeling Dumbledore wasn't in the castle ever since McGonagall avoided answering Mary's earlier question. Still, how was Sirius so sure?

"How do you know Dumbledore's not here?" Lily asked curiously.

Remus smiled, "Sorry, Lily. It's a secret."

Lily rolled her eyes. These boys had way too many secrets.

"Where's Dumbledore, then?" the brunette boy asked, alarmed. Lily felt bad for not asking his name, especially having spent so much time with him already.

Potter glanced at the brunette boy, "Hm, what's your name, anyway?" He completely ignored the boy's question.

"Allonso," the boy said, distractedly. He kept glancing out the window nervously. Honestly, Allonso looked like he was about to wet his pants. Potter looked at the boy warily, but didn't seem to have anything else to say. Lily sighed, sympathetically. She could practically feel her inner 'Alice' taking over.

"Hey Allonso," Lily said, gently. Allonso turned to her, still looking slightly panicked. Lily had to admit the fourth year looked absolutely adorable when he was scared. It made her heart melt with concern. She smiled, "Why don't you and Hestia go on ahead and explain to everyone else what's happening?"

Hestia watched her thoughtfully, a tiny crease appearing between her eyebrows, "What are we going to tell them?"

"Just make sure you tell them that everything's under control," Hestia glanced out the window at Lily's statement. "I mean, I'm pretty sure everyone can see what's going on outside. Just make sure nobody is panicking too much."

"Alright…but, what are _you_ lot going to do?" Hestia stared at Lily.

"We'll be right up," Lily assured, shooing Hestia towards the stairs. Thankfully, Allonso looked pretty eager to leave, since he began pulling at Hestia's hand.

"But—"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I saw a few Ravenclaws over in that corridor," Lily pointed in a random direction. "You know how curious those Ravenclaws are. Go on, we'll be right behind you." Hestia narrowed her eyes for half a second before nodding. She followed Allonso without another word.

"Way to be subtle, Evans," Potter smirked.

Lily rolled her eyes at him, "I did you lot a favor and got rid of them. I believe you _should_ be thanking me, Potter."

"You would have done us a bigger favor if _you_ joined them," James mocked. Lily opened her mouth to say something but Peter interrupted her.

"Why did we have to get rid of them?" Peter asked, confused.

"Because, Wormtail, those two were about to piss themselves in fear," Sirius said, grinning way more than he ought to be. "Still, Evans. Knocking them out would have been easier than whatever you were doing."

"_I _was trying to get them to leave. Anyway, I didn't see you doing anything productive," Lily huffed.

"I'm pretty sure he was _actually_ planning to knock them unconscious," Remus answered, laughing as Sirius nodded his head sincerely.

"Your homicidal tendencies are showing, Black," Lily muttered, rolling her eyes. She was surprised her eyes hadn't fallen out yet. Sirius only grinned, mischeviously.

"Well, I'm with Sirius on this one. You're a shit liar, Evans, and I've spoken to a drunk Hagrid before," James interrupted. Lily flushed slightly. Lily had encountered a drunken Hagrid only once before. She never realized just _how many_ secrets people told Hagrid until that moment. Or how many secrets Hogwarts held within its walls. It was definitely an enlightening conversation. She had also learned to _never_ tell Hagrid anything terribly important.

"You've seen Hagrid drunk?" Mary asked curiously, cutting off Lily's retort. Before Peter could go into a second-by-second account of his dinners with an intoxicated Hagrid, Lily spoke up.

"I think you're really missing the point." How did they always get off topic so easily?

"What do you mean, Evans?" Peter asked. He sounded a little too innocent. Lily rolled her eyes when she, predictably, caught Peter glancing covertly at Remus. Remus shook his head slightly, only smiling after catching sight of Lily.

"We all know you lot don't plan on going back to the Tower," Lily said, pointedly.

"But you and MacDonald are," Potter told her. He looked annoyed but there was a hint of something else in his expression. Lily couldn't place it.

Lily crossed her arms, ignoring him, "What are you planning on doing?"

Sirius scowled, unpleasantly. "Nothing you need to know," He paused rolling his stormy eyes at her defiance, "We let you tag along once, already, Evans. That doesn't mean you're invited on all the adventures." Mary looked up at Lily, inquiringly. Lily pretended she didn't notice Mary's gaze.

"So? You can't possibly think I'm going to go back in that Tower knowing you three idiots" Remus grinned, conspiringly, despite the situation "are running around doing Merlin knows what?"

"Honestly, Evans. The way you talk about us, you'd think we were going to blow up the school," Black said, amused.

"You almost did, once," Mary pointed out. Sirius didn't say anything, even though Lily was pretty sure he remembered that day. The students didn't call it the _"Great Ditch Incident"_ for nothing.

"You're not going back, are you?" Potter asked. Lily shook her head. She was not going to sit up in the Tower and just _wait_. She wanted to at least _feel_ like she was doing something important, even if that just involved running around the castle aimlessly.

"My inner prefect feels obligated to keep you lot in line."

Potter rolled his eyes, shrugging, "Whatever. Just don't get in the way."

Mary made a move to follow Lily but Sirius glared at her, "We really don't need another useless extra, MacDonald." Lily frowned at Sirius. He didn't have to be so harsh.

"It doesn't seem as if we have very much time for another argument," Remus called, staring fixedly out the window. Lily followed his gaze.

There was a myriad of colors in the sky. Blue, pink, red. They were flashing suddenly, nearly blinding Lily. Webs of white cracks seemed to spread through the sky, as if the night sky itself were breaking apart; shattering like glass. Lily barely registered the ghostly green skull in the sky, a snake slithering out of its mouth, completely contorted and split into tiny, jagged pieces. Somehow, the image seemed even more foreboding distorted like that. Lily's heart pounded louder than ever before. The ground shuddered beneath her and she could have sworn the Giant from before was right beyond the iron gate. Staring right her.

"There goes the wards," Mary murmured, grimly. Lily wondered just how long they had stood up here arguing.

Lily looked up at Potter, from where her face was pressed against the window. He gazed back at her, his expression unreadable, before shoving his hand through his hair.

Lily glowered at the chaotic scene outside. The sky over her home was falling apart, and they had mere minutes before they were absolutely screwed. Nothing was under control and Lily watched with growing anger as she realized she could do nothing to prevent this. She could do nothing to prevent the destruction of her world.

* * *

><p><strong>AN- Oooo dramatic ending! That's what happens when I listen to the DW and Inception instrumental soundtracks while writing.**

**This took me forever to write sorry! Way too much homework and school bleh**

**Hope you all are enjoying this so far.**

**xx fssquiggles (btw I changed my penname :))**


	5. Chapter 5: Draco Dormiens Part 1

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters that seem familiar, J.K. Rowling owns those. I am definitely not the queen, sorry.**

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 5:"Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus" Part 1<br>_

_"Nobody can hurt me without my permission." ~Ghandi  
><em>

Unable to take the dreadful silence any longer, Lily glared at the scene before her, absolutely frustrated. "Where is _Dumbledore_?" She exclaimed, throwing up her hands and stepping away from the window. If anyone could save them, it was the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, but evidently he still hadn't returned.

Her outburst brought the others back to reality. Sirius Black exchanged a meaningful glance with James Potter, before they both hurried down the grand staircase. With barely a glance at the girls, Peter followed right away. Only Remus shot a brief, apologetic smile in Lily's direction before heading after his friends. Lily watched them depart, her annoyance growing. Where did they think _they _were going? Exchanging an exasperated look with Mary, who seemed to have an infinitely amused expression plastered on her face, Lily followed the boys.

Lily reached the Entrance Hall feeling rather flushed. She expected to catch up to the boys quickly but they had practically disappeared. She should have guessed that they knew a secret way down to the grounds. They couldn't just disappear so quickly otherwise. A sudden dread washed over her as she realized how silent the Entrance Hall was. Apparently, Peeves decided to take his mayhem elsewhere and the portraits were mostly empty. Lily and Mary's echoing footsteps cut through the eerie silence like a knife.

"Dear ladies! I warn you, do not go out there. The other portraits have informed me of the frightful dangers they have seen. If you leave, you shan't return!" An elderly man shrieked in a rather squeaky voice. His portrait was framed in faded gold giving it an ancient, vintage flair.

"Aren't the professors and aurors out there?" Mary asked, raising a brow.

The elderly man nodded so vigorously, his hat nearly slipped off his head, "Of course, of course. However, they are well qualified for such things and young ladies, such as yourselves, certainly are not. I suggest you leave it to the men, my dears." Lily narrowed her emerald eyes disdainfully.

Lily had always prided herself in her skills, and she did not like being told what she could or could not do because of her gender. She already had to deal with similar snide comments because of her blood. She rolled her eyes, "I doubt you're qualified to even _know_ who is allowed outside, let alone tell us what to do." The elderly man stared at her as if she had suddenly sprouted another head.

"How dare you?" the man shrieked, offended. "I have seen and known more than you could ever _fathom_. Learn some respect for your elders, young lady!" The portrait called after them, seeing as Mary and Lily turned towards the doors halfway through his criticism.

Ignoring the repetitive (and offensive) warnings of the elderly portrait, they halted at the threshold of the Entrance Hall. "Pleasant company, isn't he?" Mary asked, dryly. Lily's chuckle quickly morphed into a strangled sort of gasp as she took in the sight before her. The protective barrier was still collapsing above their heads, colorful shards raining down on the front lawn. It seemed as if the professors managed to somehow keep the barrier up, but barely.

A dozen or so cloaked figures were throwing hexes left and right, hindering the progress of sustaining the barrier and occupying the few Ministry aurors from the platform. Lily blinked, stunned, at the sight. _Death Eaters._ What were _Death Eaters_ doing here? Interestingly, they were so intent on attacking that they didn't bother actually entering the castle. Mary pointed across the lawn, her words drowned out by the chaos. Lily looked up, horrified, to see a leathery gray fist crashing _through_ the barrier. This was not good. Lily stared at the mess, barely registering the dangerous red flash whiz by her head until Mary yanked her down to the ground. Snapping out of her stupor, Lily pointed her wand at the hooded figure, "STUPEFY!"

Mary stared at Lily, an unspoken question passing between them. _How?_ How could this possibly be happening? Unable to dwell on such a difficult question, instead Lily asked, "Where did they go?"

Mary gestured ahead of them, "Ask Remus. He's right there." Standing in the front lawn, Remus Lupin and Professor McGonagall were having a very serious conversation. Lily would have found the scene before her amusing under other circumstances. They looked as if they were back in the Transfiguration classroom discussing detentions instead of in the midst of a chaotic battle. The only difference was the fact that they would throw hexes over their shoulders at any sign of a threat.

Judging from the lack of the other three Marauders, Lily guessed they were already off ready to begin whatever they were planning. McGonagall was probably very desperate if she was asking Remus for advice. Mary beckoned towards Lily as she sprinted across the lawn. Lily followed Mary, hoping nobody decided to jinx her, seeing as she had a lot of trouble casting spells while running at full speed.

Lily skidded to a stop, a movement at the edge of her vision distracting her. She studied the trees of the Forbidden Forest; pretty sure she had seen James Potter. Lily shook her head in disbelief. Did McGonagall _actually_ enlist the help of the Marauders, when she so vehemently denied their help just a few hours ago? _Or_ could they be doing something without the knowledge of the Transfiguration professor? Lily shook her head. Yes, she was interested in what they were planning, but she was not going to follow them around. That was not how Lily Evans did things. She wasn't a watchdog, for Merlin's sake.

A streak of sinister green light shot past Lily's head, astonishing her. A group of dark figures were headed in her direction, throwing hexes all the while. Lily realized they were moving much too quickly to be running normally. Without hesitation, Lily cast a shield charm behind her as she ran in the opposite direction. She might have been able to take on a single Death Eater but definitely not four of them. Adrenaline rushing, she kept running until she was completely sure nobody was pursuing her.

Lily gasped for air, taking a minute to remember how to breathe again. She took in her surroundings, completely stumped. Was it just her or did every tree in this forest look the _same_? She didn't even remember which direction she had come from. Biting her lip, Lily pulled out her wand; relishing the sense of security it gave her. Lily didn't have a single clue as to what to do next, but she was _not_ going to panic. A panic attack would not be helpful right now. Just take a deep breath and think, Lily._ Stay calm._

A rustle of leaves shook Lily out of her internal lecture. Lily surveyed the clearing, her heart beating faster. Another series of rustling made her frown. It's just an animal, she told herself, nothing but an animal, Lily.

_Snap._ Lily spun on her heels, the crackling of branches echoing in her head. Who was she _kidding?_ She was currently _lost _in the bloody Forbidden Forest during a Death Eater invasion. She was legally obliged to panic. Another crunch and Lily jumped, throwing the first hex that came to mind. "Levicorpus!" Instead of a dangerous black robed figure hanging from his ankle, something fluffy and white shot into the air. A _rabbit_. It was a bloody rabbit. Lily shook her head. Luckily, nobody else was present to witness her—

"Nice one, Evans." Lily could feel her face turning a lovely shade of scarlet. Of _course_ it was Potter. Lily released the squealing rabbit, hoping she wasn't blushing too much. The bloody rabbit _hissed_ at her before fleeing the premises. Evidently, the animal had an attitude, too.

"What did the poor rabbit ever do to you?" James continued, obviously finding this amusing.

Finding no other excuse as to why she had harassed the rabbit, Lily sighed, "It startled me. I thought it was something else."

James raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Really, Evans? It _only _startled you?"

Lily cheeks burned, "Honestly, Potter. If you're here to be a git, then you should just go."

James shrugged, throwing his arms behind his head, "Okay. Have fun figuring out how to get out of here, yeah?" He turned on his heel and began to walk away. He was _actually _leaving. Lily stared at his retreating back for a minute before following him, involuntarily.

"W—wait!" Lily paused, trying to keep her dignity, "You know how to get out of here?" James nodded, smirking at her. He stared at her expectantly. Lily wondered if he would actually leave her here. Wasn't the 'helping-out-a-girl-in-need' thing a common trait amongst Gryffindor boys? Then again, James Potter didn't exactly _like_ Lily anymore, especially not since the events at the end of fifth year. She was pretty sure he downright hated her now. Lily may prefer it that way but it really wasn't helping her situation.

Sighing, Lily squirmed under his expectant gaze. "Well, Potter. I'm just a little bit kind of sort of may be _lost _and I was wondering," she paused clearing her throat, "I was wondering if you could help me get out of this _bloody forest_." Her words rushed together in her haste to get them out. It wasn't that Lily had a problem asking for help, she just had a problem getting it from Potter.

James ran his hand through his hair, face contorted in thought. Lily watched him impatiently, eventually resorting to imagining different ways to wipe that smirk off the prat's face. She had come up with twenty-three before James finally shrugged at her, "Sure, Evans, I'll help you out. I'm glad you asked." He beamed at her. "We should get a move on, yeah?" Lily glared at him, astounded at his audacity. "And Evans?"

"What?" she snapped, arms crossed.

"You owe me."

"First get us out of this place in one piece, Potter."

"It's a deal, then," James grinned, evilly, before walking off. Not for the first time, Lily was truly tempted to punch him in the nose.

/~/~/~/~/~/

_Rustle. Crunch. Snap. _Out from a set of bushes and other vegetation crawled two boys, a dark-haired one and a blonde one. The mischievous looks in their eyes meant only one thing. They were up to something.

"That was a close one," Sirius Black murmured, brushing the dirt off his arse. He was closely followed by a cross and disheveled Peter Pettigrew.

"I wonder why," Peter scoffed. He really did _not _enjoy being transfigured into a rabbit. It was bad enough turning into a rat once a month.

Sirius pulled out a sheet of parchment. The Marauder's Map, they so fondly called it. "What is that supposed to mean, Wormy?" he asked dismissively.

Peter shook his head, sighing, "Nothing. Next time, warn a bloke before turning him into a rabbit, yeah?"

"You would think it'd be a nice change of scenery, Pete. Ya know, from being a rat and all," Sirius examined the map carefully, ruffling his hair in concentration.

Peter scratched his head thoughtfully, "I like the benefits of being a rat, though," Sirius snorted and Peter blushed. "I mean I like being able to go places without being noticed and I like the idea of being able to disappear without a trace."

"In other words, you like going to the kitchens whenever you want without getting caught," Sirius clarified. Peter shrugged, grinning. He wasn't about to deny something so true. "Found it!" Sirius cried, jabbing one of the sections of the map. Peter rolled his eyes at how indiscreet Sirius was being.

"Are we clear?" Peter asked, unable to see all the red dots and tiny names on the map. He was colorblind so the red ink wasn't exactly an advantage for him. Remus thought that was one of the factors as to why his animagus was a rat.

"Yup. Good old Prongsie and Moony, taking one for the team," Sirius said grinning and pulling out his wand. "Let's go, Pete. We've got fifteen minutes." Peter nodded.

A large, black dog padded out of the clearing, quickly breaking out into a full sprint, and, strangely enough, there was an average sized gray rat clinging to the furs of the dog, as if it were hitching a ride.

/~/~/~/~/~/

"But we haven't _got _fifteen minutes, Potter," Lily gesturing around her for emphasis. The roar of a giant, gave her flailing arms something better to emphasize.

James sighed, "Unless Dumbledore shows up, that's how long we've got."

"Yeah, if this plan of yours even _works_."

Potter continued, rolling his eyes as if she was being absurd, "Oh, we'll know if the plan works. All the professors need to do is keep the barrier for fifteen more minutes."

"Fifteen minutes is a _long_ time, Potter. A lot can happen in fifteen minutes."

"You're really making it hard to stay optimistic, Evans." James muttered, narrowing his eyes at her.

Lily shrugged, "Well, it seems to me that you have enough optimism for the both of us."

James ruffled his hair and peered down at her curiously, "I never pegged you for a pessimist. It's interesting actually."

"No it's really not. It's just been a long day. Also, if you didn't know, there are _giants_ attacking our school. Optimism should be a rarity right now."

James rolled his eyes, "So should blatancy, Evans."

"You're a git, Potter."

"And you're a _prat_, Evans."

"Bugger off."

"No, thanks."

Lily glared at him, folding her arms across her chest, "For Merlin's sake, Potter, why are you so infuriating? Can you just stop being so _annoying_ for once in your life?"

Lily was expecting James to make a witty comment but instead he was staring down at Lily fiercely. She suddenly became aware of how much taller James had grown over break. His height plus the fury practically radiating out of his pores was more intimidating than usual. "Why am _I_ so infuriating? _Please_, Evans, do you pay attention to yourself at all? You throw a tantrum at least once a day."

"Oh really? This coming from the boy who throws a tantrum every time he doesn't get what he wants," Lily said with a hard tone, thinking of all those times he picked on Severus when she rejected him.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He asked, his tone implying that he knew exactly what she was referencing and he didn't like it at all.

Something must've snapped in Lily because she jabbed a finger to his chest angrily, "It means that you are an arrogant arse, Potter. All you ever do is ruin everything that doesn't agree with you. You're a selfish idiot who ruins _everything_!"

She hadn't realized how loud she had been yelling until the ringing silence afterwards. Lily was enraged. All she could do was blame the untidy haired boy for everything; from the situation they were in right now to her and Severus's broken friendship. She especially faulted him for her broken friendship with Severus, although she knew he really had nothing to do with it. He just prompted the inevitable to arrive faster than Lily was ready for. Every dark emotion she had tried to bury away this summer seemed to magically pop back to the forefront of her brain, obscuring all thoughts of rationality. She just wanted somebody to yell at and James Potter was the ideal person for the job.

James had the nerve to smirk at her in that annoying way of his. "Who's throwing a tantrum now?" Lily was itching to hex that triumphant look off his face (and she was positive Potter was expecting her to do so seeing as he had already reached for his wand), when a voice intervened.

"_Quite_ the dramatic lover's quarrel you two are having, aren't ya?" Lily whipped around angrily, observing the unperturbed, hooded figure. It was as if he appeared out of thin air.

Lily thrust her wand in his direction, anger still coloring her tone, "We're _not_ lovers and who the hell are you?" The moonlight gleamed off the man's strangely reflective face. His hood cast a shadow over his face but Lily could've sworn she had seen snake eyes above that horrible, grotesque smile. Not even bothering to answer her, he flicked his wand to the side and a streak of scarlet shot out of it. It was barely an inch from Lily's face before it sprung backwards hitting the hooded man square in the chest. Lily stared at James, who now had his wand pointed at the man sprawled on the ground.

Lily barely had time to blink before more voices carried through the forest, much too close to be safe.

"Shit," James muttered, pulling Lily by the forearm and out of the clearing. Yelling and hexes closely followed them and Lily swore under her breath. "Hey, Evans, can I ask you something?" James called, in an extraordinarily calm voice.

"If you're about to ask me to Hogsmeade, I swear to Merlin, I will trip you right now," Lily huffed at him, trying to keep up with his pace.

"Do you trust me?" James asked, not even slightly out of breath.

"_What?_" Lily would have stopped running if it weren't for the sinister spells flying inches from her body.

"Do you trust me?" he repeated. Lily glanced at him, confused.

"No, not really."

"Good answer. Now, listen, Evans. Just _keep_ running, no matter what. Got it? I'll be right back." Before Lily could open her mouth to protest, James Potter had disappeared from her side, leaving her alone with group of murderous Death Eaters on her heels. That _bloody arsehole_. For Merlin's sake, he should have figured out by now that she didn't work well under pressure. She could barely take on one bloody Death Eater and he left her with a _pack_ of them. Bugger. Bugger. Bugger. In the midst of her mental breakdown, Lily noticed something unusual. It was quiet. There were no angry voices and no footsteps. No spells close enough to kill. Why had the footsteps stopped? What happened to the Death Eaters? Lily halted, turning around. Relief and exhaustion hit her like a wave.

She caught a glimpse of shaggy dark hair and glasses at the edge, just before Lily stooped over with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. This was probably karma for not going on those runs with Kaya, while living in a castle that could feed all of Africa quite easily. Lily was exhausted and couldn't breathe properly. It was a matter of time before the adrenaline left her but Lily was hoping it'd be much later. Of course, James Potter, athletic, Quidditch-playing extraordinaire was only slightly out of breath.

"You okay, Evans?" James asked. He actually sounded worried. Well, good.

Finally catching her breath Lily looked up at him, "Obviously not, Potter. Seeing as you just _left _me back there."

"I told you I'd come back." The look on his face was disconcerting, as if he could see right through her.

Lily sighed, "I know that… Fine, whatever. Just don't do leave like that ever again. I don't do well under intense pressure."

James stared at Lily, before shaking his head and throwing a hand through his hair, "I can see that, Evans. Come on, we need to get a move on," Lily stood up straight, nodding.

"How did you get rid of them, anyway?" She asked suspiciously.

"That's top-secret, Evans."

"Merlin, how many secrets do you lot have?" Lily asked, exasperated.

"More than your innocent, little being can handle," Lily shot him a withering glare, turning away. The trees looked thicker and everything seemed wilder than ever. The forest seemed as if it grew a hundred centuries older since she remembered.

"Where are we?" Lily asked.

James stared at their surroundings, his expression quickly morphing into befuddlement, "I don't know. I've never been here before."

Lily exhaled loudly, "Really helpful." She paused looking around, "Let's go that way," she pointed to her right.

"Are you trying to get us lost?" James asked, incredulously.

"We're _already_ lost and it's not like you have any better ideas," Lily pointed out.

"I'm the forest expert here, Evans, and I reckon we should go this way," he indicated towards his left.

"You can't be an expert if you've never been, idiot."

"I've been everywhere else. What's the difference?"

"The difference is that if we go to the wrong place, we could _die_," Lily shivered, recalling the giant spiders that Lily and Alice had accidentally stumbled across.

Potter rolled his eyes, "If you're worried about that, just stay here and I'll get one of the professors to fetch you." Lily socked him in the arm, shaking her head. He grinned triumphantly and set off towards the left.

Lily really wanted to get back to her warm four-poster bed and sleep. Oh my Godric, it was only the first day back. When was it going to end? She had already explored a secret passage that ended in a rather hazy way (Sirius and James both agreed that some old, brilliant, pranking ancestor had left a strange curse on the passage, just for laughs. Lily didn't think landing in a heap back at the entrance, mysteriously covered in grass and dirt stains, after trudging for hours through rubble and cobwebs was very funny). She had also been caught by Filch, had potion's ingredients dumped on her, nearly died quite a bit, _and_ was currently lost in the woods with the person she hated the most. If the first day was this eventful, Lily wondered how bad the rest of the year would be.

Lost in her thoughts, Lily walked headfirst into Potter's back. James placed his hand over her mouth and put a finger to his lips, pointing ahead. This forest was crowded today, wasn't it? Lily thought bitterly, as she heard distant whispers. She could barely make out what they were saying. She pulled his hand away, and gestured for him to move closer. They edged closer towards the voices, making sure to remain in the shadows of the trees.

"He told us not to attack the school," a deep, nasally voice accused.

"I know that, you dimwit. Thatch was in need of a distraction and there was no other way to execute the plan properly," a rich, authoritative voice replied. He was obviously in charge.

"Dumbledore isn't daft. He'll realize what we're doing soon enough, if he doesn't already know—" a loud thud disrupted the nasally man's speech.

"Thank you, Snyder," someone grunted in pain, "How dare you defend that old fool? Would you like to repeat those words in front of _him_, or shall I?" Detached laughter broke the silence, "I thought so. That old git won't know what hit him. He'll never figure out the plan, and if he does, it seems I know exactly who to blame," Lily winced at the yelp of pain. How could _anyone_ treat another person like that?

"Now, stop sniveling around and send a patronus to Avery," the man in charge commanded. James tensed, obviously recognizing that name. "Snyder, I require you to inform De—" A thunderous blast shook the very earth they were standing on. Lily yelped jumping nearly a foot in the air. She clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes widening. Shit. That must've meant the fifteen minutes were up. What the hell did Sirius and Peter _do_? Shit, _why_ did she just yell?

Before James or Lily could react any further, James's entire body stiffened and his wand fell to the ground. Ducking instinctively, Lily blindly shot a stunning spell from the general direction of the Death Eater voices and grabbed for James's wand. She wasn't sure what she planned on doing, but they couldn't afford to lose either of their wands. She managed to hide James's wand in his robes before coiling ropes tightened themselves around her body until she was unable to move. A man wearing a mask with snake slits for eyes, stared down at her with a bone-chilling smile.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

/~/~/~/~/~/

The silence was solemn and haunting, terrorizing and courageous, binding and maddening.

No one spoke, no one moved.

No one rekindled the dying fire; even the first years stopped asking questions.

The Gryffindor Common Room, usually filled with warmth and glee, was as silent as death.

The huge group near the window had dispersed a long time ago, as soon as the thought of the shattering barrier finally sunk in. Once the two fourth years entered the Common Room with no additional news, the dispersion began. The Fat Lady would not allow a single body out, and the older students watched with anticipation for someone, _anyone_, to bring them news. Anticipation and chatter soon turned wearisome, but they still waited; still hoped.

.

Alice Prewett watched the portrait hole, anxiously, absently picking at her nightgown. Hestia had told her that Mary and Lily would be right up. That was a long time ago. Alice locked eyes with Kaya Johnson, who had been nervously twiddling with her hair. Alice hated waiting. It was agonizing to not know what was happening.

Echoing voices severed the silence. It wasn't coming from the Gryffindors.

It was coming from beyond the portrait hole. All eyes locked onto the door; no one even dared to breathe.

The door swung open with a resounding thud, a blond and brunette stepping over the threshold, with halfhearted smiles.

It was Mary MacDonald and Remus Lupin.

There was a moment of stunned silence, before Alice hurried over to Mary and gave her a bone-crushing hug, her mothering personality instantly kicking in.

"Are you okay? What happened? Where were you? Merlin, Mary we were so worried. Wait…whose blood is that? Godric, please tell me that you're not bleeding. Oh, Godric, you are an _idiot_. Merlin's most baggy—"

"_Breathe_, Alice," Remus interrupted, smiling despite the situation. Alice turned, suddenly realizing Remus was there, and pulled him into a quick hug. "Please stop worrying. We're fine." Alice only watched them with more concern etched on her face.

"Wow, I don't remember bleeding. I reckon it was a Death Eater's," Mary replied, sounding dazed.

The sudden revelation had the room erupting into a chorus of questions and comments. "_Death Eaters?_" Kaya asked, dumbfounded. Remus nodded, grimly. Kaya gaped at him, "What the hell is _happening _out there, Remus? And where are Lily, James, Sirius, and Peter?"

A hush fell over the students, as if someone had cast a Silencing Charm.

Remus shook his head, "I don't know where any of them are, but I'm sure they're fine." Alice exchanged a worried glance with Kaya. Remus looked up, addressing the anxious Gryffindors, "As you guys can see, it's bad out there, but the professors have managed to keep the barrier up so far. We'll pull through." The silence was beginning to engulf them again.

"How many Death Eaters are down there, Remus?" Marlene McKinnon inquired, breaking the impending stillness.

"How is that going to help?" A brunette boy with pointy ears cried, annoyed. Ignoring the boy's comment, the Gryffindors observed Remus's reaction.

"I only saw fifteen or so," Remus looked at Marlene curiously, "Why? What are you thinking?"

"Why would You-Know-Who send so few Death Eaters to attack Hogwarts?" Marlene questioned.

"It does seem a bit odd," Dorcas Meadowes commented from beside Marlene. Remus nodded thoughtfully.

"The giants!" Hestia exclaimed echoing across the Common Room. Her mouth fell open in realization. She blushed, covering her mouth as if she were trying to take back her words. Recognizing that she was now obliged to speak, she continued, bashfully, "Um, what I meant was…well, once my mum told me of the giant attacks on the countryside. She told how there were always huge groups of them—like a pack—who would terrorize together. But last I saw there were _barely_ a dozen of them. It almost seemed as if they were lost." Allonso nodded in agreement, unsettled by the memories.

"Maybe You-Know-Who was short on supply?" A seventh year suggested, shrugging.

Emmeline Vance, fellow sixth year, shook her head. All eyes watched her unexpected movement, except for one. A guilty set of eyes fixed her gaze anywhere but at the girl speaking.

"What if You-Know-Who _didn't_ send them?" Emmeline wondered. A wave of murmurs followed her question, some discrediting her inquiry as foolish.

Mary nodded, not bothering to even look at Emmeline, "Actually, that's what I was thinking. I just don't know any other reason why they'd be here though."

A charged pause threatened to drown the reflecting Gryffindors and their progress. They looked at each other refusing to revert back to the dreaded silence. Anything was better than that, but now they were stuck. The pause in conversation was suffocating.

A small, first year raised his hand timidly. He twisted his robes in his hands, obviously uncomfortable with the countless pairs of eyes suddenly fixed upon him. "I was thinking and…and it sort of seemed like a… a distraction?" he squeaked, doubting himself.

Staring. No one spoke, no one moved. They only stared, contemplating the boy's words.

Frank Longbottom, the Head Boy, nodded his eyes as wide as dinner plates, "_Yes_! You're definitely on to something. It does make sense and actually puts all the other factors into perspective. _And_ it explains why the Death Eaters haven't bothered destroying the school yet." A few younger kids appeared mystified, totally awed at the thought process of their Head Boy. "The question is: why are they trying to distract us?" Frank frowned, obviously disliking the possible answers to his own question.

"I'm much more curious as to what the Death Eaters are trying to distract us from," Alice said, worry etched into every inch of her expression.

Little did these Gryffindors know, every other house was having a similar discussion, although not as thoroughly as the Gryffindors. Of course, they didn't have the advantage of firsthand witnesses at their disposal, but the houses were much more resourceful then they seemed.

The Ravenclaws sat under their starry sky, overlooked by the statue of their Founder. They sat surrounded by open windows and scenes of destruction. They sat and tried to solve the problem.

The Hufflepuffs sat on their fluffy pillows, in a huge circle. They sat under a trembling ceiling, only recently told by their house ghost of the commotion outside the castle. They sat and searched for the answer.

The Slytherins sat in their dungeon and regal chairs, surrounded by shuddering walls. They sat under powerful, protective spells, careful of their quivering Common Room, while they gathered the facts. They sat and used any means necessary to decipher the solution.

Despite the differences between the four Hogwarts Houses and the growing animosity between the Slytherins and the other three Houses, they were still Hogwarts students. There were three things almost every Hogwarts student agreed on, one of which was to never _ever_ mess with their school.

There was a reason why one should never tickle a sleeping dragon.

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><p><strong>This is part 1 but I just wanted to update because I've been having some weird nagging feeling about updating that I couldn't get rid of. I'm already halfway done with the next chapter, and hopefully it comes early. <strong>

**Thanks to all who have been checking out my story and I hope you stick with it. Lots of virtual showers of awesome to all my readers, subscribers, alerters, and stuff. Love you all! :)  
><strong>

**Read, Review, and Enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6: Unforgivable

**Disclaimer: I don't any of this at _all_. J.k. Rowling does. I own the plot though yay**

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><p><em>Chapter 6: Unforgivable<em>

_"True, if you fight, there is always a chance you might lose. But if you do not fight, you can never win." **~ Taylor E. Bennet**_

Lily blinked, her vision slowly coming to a focus. She groaned; a dull throbbing pulsed throughout her body. She tried to move her arms, but they were fastened behind her back.

"Finally awake, poppet?" a vaguely familiar voice sneered. A brief, muffled noise trickled passed Lily's tangled thoughts. Her eyes snapped open; memories rushing back to her. _Oh no. No, this couldn't be happening…_

Lily set a curious gaze on the figure in front of her, dressed in long, black robes and a glinting white mask. The dim glow made the man appear as if he were just a floating face, watching her ominously.

Lily glanced around the clearing, and realized frantically that James was not there, along with the other Death Eaters. Where was he? Merlin, what if he was dea…Lily cut herself off, not willing to think about that.

"Looking for your boyfriend?" the figure in front of her mocked, in a cold voice. Lily blinked, realizing he was the commanding voice in the clearing from earlier. She was bloody terrified. She was alone with a Death Eater, who could've killed her, who _can_ kill her. She willed herself to remain calm, racking her brain for a way to get out of here.

"He's not my boyfriend," she answered, trying to keep him occupied. Lily was surprised at how _calm_ she sounded, when she was obviously anything but. "What did you do with him, anyway?"

"He's dead," the man answered, shrugging nonchalantly. Lily blinked, momentarily believing him. Her chest felt heavy and she had the sudden urge to punch the man in front of her multiple times. It couldn't be true. Becauseif the Death Eater was telling the truth then it was all Lily's fault. _She_ got them captured. It would be all _her_ fault.

_No_, it wasn't true. Lily shook her head quickly, as if she could physically shake away her worries. Of, course the death eater was lying_._ It wasn't true. James Potter could not be dead. He's too damn stubborn to let that ever happen.

She narrowed her emerald eyes at him, trying for confidence, "No, he isn't. James is not dead." The man couldn't have killed James. If anything, killing a member of an old family like the Potters would be detrimental to the plans they were talking of earlier. It would trigger a huge investigation that would become a huge problem later on. Anyway, according to the nasally Death Eater, they weren't allowed to hurt any of the students. Lily allowed herself to cling to that vague detail, expelling all other doubts from her mind.

The man didn't reply for a long time. Lily desperately wished she could see his face, at least to decipher what he was _thinking._ He seemed taken aback by her assurance, his tone a mixture of skepticism and interest, "How could you possibly know?"

Lily couldn't help but smirk. She wasn't about to tell him what she had overheard, even if it didn't seem all that important to her. All she heard was a name and a tiny snippet of a rather obvious plan, but she _really_ needed the advantage. All she needed was a bit of time to _think_.

The figure took a step forward, crouching just above eye level. Fast as a whip, he pulled out his wand.

"Let's try this again," He prodded her neck with the tip of his wand, menacingly. "What do you know?" The man asked icily. Lily watched him defiantly, her fight-or-flight instincts at a high.

The masked man tilted his head to the side, the moonlight forming a disturbing glint of a smile. He pulled his wand back and glanced behind him.

"Oh, how could I forget my manners," his tone was jovial as he turned back to her. Lily watched him, perplexed. What the hell? The man clapped his hands together, and someone limped into the clearing, also wearing a dark cloak. He glided into the clearing, floating like a shadow.

"Meet my acquaintance, whom you may call Rockford." His mask seemed to lift up, revealing the man's chin, as if he were smiling. "Rockford here is awfully interested in the workings of the human mind, wizard and muggle." He spoke the last word with noticeable disgust. Lily honestly did not know what he was going on about. The man continued in that horribly cheerful tone, "Rockford knows a lot about ways to, how do you say, _receive _information. Especially when a person is not cooperating."

The hairs on the back of Lily's neck stood on end. She held her tongue, knowing that she needed to get out of the clearing _now_. She needed to find Potter and get the hell away from these psychotic death eaters.

"You seem reasonably intelligent, poppet. I suggest you cooperate, if you know what's good for you," he finished, his tone aloof. Devoid of a plan of any sort, Lily slowly nodded.

"That's a good girl. Now, allow me to ask you something…easier. What is your name?"

"Prudence," Lily answered, aware of how dangerous it was to give a couple death eaters her real name. She wasn't an idiot.

"She's lying," Rockford stated. He eyed Lily intently, making her feel uneasy. How did he know?

The nameless death eater leaned forward, his face an inch away from hers. He really didn't know how to respect personal space, did he? "Dear Miss _Prudence. _I'm sure you have a loving family who would be absolutely devastated if something were to happen to you. Surely, something in that pretty little head of yours can comprehend your circumstances," he spoke with a cold, meaningful drawl, as he dragged the tip of his wand across her cheek. Lily shuddered, involuntarily.

"Nothing's going to happen to me," Lily said, staring straight where his eyes should be.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked, his mask glinting before her.

Lily glared at him, irritation washing over her. Glancing down at his outstretched wand, she allowed herself a small smile, "This is a rather shite distraction. I don't think your precious _Dark Lord_ will be especially pleased with how things have turned out."

The wand in his hand twitched against her cheek. "What else do you know?"

Annoyed and a little spiteful, Lily replied, "I _also_ know that you're an arse, who knows _very little_ about carrying out missions properly."

A sharp pain across Lily's cheek made her eyes water and her ear sting. Lily's head struck the ground with a thud and she couldn't sit back up because of how tightly she was bound. The pain was drowned out by her rage. He had _hit_ her. Not with a hex, as she would have expected, but with his hands. How _dare_ he hit her?

"Someone really needs to teach you a thing or two about respect, _poppet_." He spat. Lily had obviously struck a chord. He pulled her up by her hair, and she winced. He was absolutely furious. At least they had something in common. "Do you _know _who I am?"

Lily probably _should_ have held her tongue, since aggravating a death eater further than necessary wasn't exactly the best idea, but she didn't care. She was livid. She was utterly tired of people telling her what to do, and frankly all she wanted to do was get the hell out of this bloody forest and sleep. This death eater was keeping her from that. He had also _hit_ her, which fueled her anger to dangerous levels. Anyway, what kind of stupid question was _that_?

"How in the _world _am I supposed to know who you are, when you're wearing a buggering mask?" She asked, exasperated. "In fact,_ why _should I even care who you are? You're a _coward_, as far as I'm concerned."

The death eater began to say something, in a hostile tone, as he shoved her to the grassy floor. She winced as she hit the ground with a thud, something inside her robes pushing against her sides. It took her a moment to realize that she still had her wand, although she had no clue how she was going to get it out.

A movement whirred at the edge of Lily's vision, catching her attention. Something was moving across the clearing. It looked a bit like the air itself was in motion. Lily blinked several times, wondering if it was just a figment of her imagination.

Nope, the air was definitely shimmering in wavelike motions. Lily stared at the familiar shimmer, until it stopped. She had seen or read something about this before. If only she could remember what it meant.

A shift among the bushes captured Lily's attention. The trees rustled, putting an end to the death eater's verbal abuse. He turned, and a pudgy rabbit hopped into the clearing, happily twitching its nose. The death eater muttered a few choice profanities, before being interrupted by an urgent Rockford. Lily barely paid attention to their quarreling.

That rabbit appeared to be peering straight at her, in a strange, unnatural way. It seemed almost…human. The rabbit continued towards the previously fluttering strip of air, before coming to an abrupt halt. It appeared as if it had bounced headfirst into a wall. Or…a _person_. Lily's eyes widened with comprehension. _Of course._ It was a (very terribly performed) Disillusionment Charm.

The rabbit had its mouth clamped over something invisible and the space around it began to wave and shimmer madly. It looked like a shoddy telly signal. Funnily enough, Rockford and the other Death Eater didn't notice a thing.

Something dangled the rabbit above the ground before hurling it into the trees with a thunderous smack. The death eaters turned just as James Potter and a nearly unconscious death eater appeared before them, flickering precariously between two worlds. Lily rolled her eyes. James Potter certainly knew how to make an entrance.

Lily twisted to the side, pushing her legs upwards and straight into the back of the knees of a very distracted Rockford. He buckled over, his surprise overwhelming him, and accidentally dropped his wand. Lily scooted forward, towards the wand, hoping James could keep the other death eaters occupied. Unfortunately, the previously unconscious Death Eater had managed to become very much conscious, very quickly.

"Behind you!" Lily called, an instant too late. She thought he was done for, but a red flare streaked out of the trees, rendering the death eater back into unconsciousness.

All eyes turned to the source and there stood Sirius Black, grinning like a loon. Lily smiled slightly, as she kicked Rockford before he could compose himself.

Lily reached for Rockford's wand, her left hand straining against the magical ropes. She barely grasped the stick before it was kicked out of her hand, flying out of her reach. Pain shot up her fingers like tiny spikes. She was definitely going to feel this in the morning. Lily struggled against the person pulling her up roughly. It was the leader of the death eaters.

"All of you! Drop your wands or the girl _will _get hurt," both Sirius and James stopped in their tracks. They glanced at Lily, simultaneously.

"Are you willing to jeopardize everything we have worked for, Motley?" Rockford asked with quiet urgency.

Lily grimaced as he tightened his grip on her, "Of course not, Rockford. However, these brats know too much. They are a liability." He turned his head towards Sirius. "Drop your wands. _Now!_"

He stared at James and Sirius, expectantly. They didn't do as they were told, probably thinking the death eater—Motley—was bluffing.

Motley chuckled, unsettling Lily. He spoke one word in a terribly calm tone, "Crucio."

Lily's surprise at the choice of curse quickly morphed into an intense, throbbing pain. It was unbearable and seemed to last an eternity, resonating within her body like the beat of a drum. It felt as if someone had poured a boiling vat of oil over her head while, simultaneously, stabbing her in the stomach over and over and over and over again. Her insides were raw with pain and her mind howled with a sort of ache she had never ever felt before. It was maddening. Horrible. Painful. She wanted to die. No, she didn't want to die. She just wanted the pain to go away. She wanted it to _stop_. Why wouldn't it stop? She was going to go mad. Please, stop. Please, _please_…

/

Lily gasped for breath, her mind a wobbly mess. Did she blackout? She couldn't remember. The pain had ceased, and she supposed she was under for less than a minute. How could there be so much pain in so little time? She blinked, registering the wands lying on the grass and the pale faces of James Potter and Sirius Black. Lily drooped, unable to process what Motley was saying. All she could think of was the pain and how she needed to escape. She couldn't go through that again.

Like an answer to her prayers the restraints around her body slowly began to loosen. Her body heaved for air, finally free. Nobody else seemed to be aware of this joyous event, and Lily decided to keep it that way. Inching her right hand back into her torn robes, Lily grasped for her wand. The warmth and security coursing through her body was refreshing.

Without deciding on how exactly Lily was going about this, she slipped her wand out and murmured, "_Petrificus Totallus._"

The death eaters noticed a moment too late and the situation quickly morphed into one of utter chaos. Lily rushed out of the way just as a spell from Rockford flew her way. A flurry of movement made Lily's stomach turn. Lily caught a glimpse of a blonde boy jumping on one of the death eaters. Someone twisted her left hand with an ironclad grip. It was Motley, of course. She flinched, struggling against his grasp, and tried to pull free. His mask had cracked in half, a lone blue eye regarding her with cold irritation. He raised his wand, a spell already on his lips. Without hesitation, Lily thrust her knee upwards as hard as she could, leaving him doubled over in pain. She stared at the writhing body, feeling oddly lightheaded.

Someone else pulled her gently by the arm, and Lily allowed him to navigate her away. Merlin knows how long they ran, as long as they got away. Lily pulled her arm out of the person's grasp and slowed to a stop, dizziness overwhelming her.

Lily felt a tap on her shoulder, but she only shook her head, "I just… I need a minute."

"You're not going to be sick, are you?" Sirius asked, worriedly. She shook her head, but apparently she wasn't very assuring. They all took a huge step away from her. Lily rolled her eyes and a sudden wave of nausea fell over her.

"Thanks for the support," she muttered sarcastically, plopping down on the grass and rubbing her head. She could already feel a bruise forming, and she still couldn't believe that death eater had used the Cruciatus Curse. She felt unusually exhausted, mentally as well as physically.

"You okay, Evans?" James asked, concerned. No. She wasn't okay. She was _far_ from okay. However, James Potter didn't need to know that, especially when he couldn't figure it out on his own. She took a deep breath, steadying herself, and then nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit…" Lily trailed off, not sure how to finish her sentence. She looked everywhere but at Potter until her gaze fell on Peter Pettigrew. Her brain seemed to connect the pieces instantly. "You made the ropes disappear, didn't you, Peter?"

Peter nodded. Lily smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you for that." Peter smiled sheepishly, shrugging.

Lily tried to ignore Sirius's blatant staring but it was beginning to bother her. He was watching her warily.

Lily was annoyed, "It's rude to stare, Black."

He smirked, not at all fazed, "Does this make you uncomfortable?" He was still staring at her like she was going to explode at any moment.

"_Yes._"

"Why?" he asked.

Lily was not expecting him to ask her why. People barely ever asked her to explain herself. She blinked, "Because…you're staring at me like I'm going to...combust or something. Nothing of that sort is going to happen, Black." He looked at Lily skeptically. "I promise."

He grinned, shaking his head. Suddenly, his grin was replaced by a reproachful frown. After a few moments, it was clear Sirius wasn't going to explain his sudden change in mood. Lily didn't even bother asking. She had learned long ago that it was best to refrain from questioning Sirius Black about his moods.

"Can we get out of here?" Lily asked nobody in particular.

The three marauders exchanged a quick glance. Sirius and Peter continuously shook their heads until James sighed, and nodded. Lily watched their interaction, completely bewildered.

"What does _that_ mean?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrows.

"What does _what_ mean?" Sirius asked, innocently.

"_That_," she gestured between the boys, who only stared at her in response. She opened her mouth but then thought better of it. They were a bunch of secretive idiots_._

James smiled slightly, shrugging, before running a hand through his already messy hair. He really needed to stop doing that. "Well, Evans, we need you to agree to something." He paused, allowing her to comment. She didn't have anything to say. "Anyway, in order to get out of here, you're going to have to turn around and cover your ears. It'll only be a minute." Lily was so tired; she didn't even bother asking why.

Covering her ears, she leaned against a tree and waited. She heard a muffled, "_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good._" Lily rolled her eyes. That's a terribly corny slogan, to be honest.

/~/~/~/~/~/

Apparently, the three marauders had miraculously figured out which direction the castle was. Lily had a tiny inkling that it had something to do with their solemn swearing but she didn't bother with it. Lily was in no mood to learn any more secrets.

"You're certainly not okay, Evans," James Potter stated, as he dropped back alongside her.

"What makes you say that?" Lily asked, sarcastically.

"For one thing, you haven't been interrogating us about every suspicious thing we've been doing." James replied, either ignoring her tone or being completely oblivious to it.

"Don't worry, I've taken note of everything." She replied, lightly.

"Seriously, Evans." James said quietly, sounding way too worried for someone who was supposed to despise her. He really needed to stop being so nice to her.

"Seriously, Potter," Lily sighed. "I don't want to talk about it…" _Not with you. _Those words were too horrible to say aloud but Lily had a feeling James knew exactly what she was thinking.

He was silent for a moment, before continuing in a more casual tone, "You know what? I can't believe he actually told you I was dead."

Lily blinked, completely caught off guard, "…Yeah. I couldn't believe it either." She hoped to Merlin he wasn't implying anything.

"You actually cared whether I was dead or not?" His tone remained as casual as ever, but she could feel his gaze burning holes into her head.

Lily glanced at James and completely regretted it. He was staring at her meaningfully, a glint of something unidentifiable in his hazel eyes. She hated what his expression entailed. She hated it so much.

Angry words filled her head. Memories of a night that Lily never wanted to think about. She was confused, angry, and most of all hurt that night.

Lily shook her head, trying to physically stop the memory from resurfacing. James seemed to interpret her shaking head differently.

"Sorry, Evans, I forgot. You probably don't want to talk about it," James said dryly, walking away.

Lily grabbed his forearm, stopping him from retreating. Of course she cared whether he died. She might hate him, but that didn't mean she wanted him _dead_. Instead she said, "_Why_ would you bring that up right now?" He looked down at her hand as if it had offended him. She removed it from his forearm sheepishly.

"Bring what up, Evans?" James asked, innocently. She didn't answer him, unwilling to bring up all the horrible things that had happened at the end of fifth year. She was not in the right state of mind and she knew perfectly well how confusing she had been. James didn't deserve what she said and did to him. Exactly how Lily didn't deserve what he done and said in return. Lily had struggled to shove all the bad things away during break. How could _one_ sentence, _one_ day, _one_ _boy _completely tear down nearly three months of effort?

James spoke coldly, "I thought so."

/~/~/~/~/~/

"You four have detention every week for the next two months _and _I am deducting sixty points each. I'd also like to add that the same punishments have been given to Mr. Lupin and Miss MacDonald," Professor Minerva McGonagall admonished, tiredly.

"That's _three hundred sixty_ points," Sirius Black exclaimed.

Professor McGonagall glared at him, "Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to act on a whim, Mr. Black. What you did was irresponsible and unsafe. Be glad that is the only punishment you are receiving." She paused, allowing her words to sink in, "I expected better of all of you."

Ashamed, nobody spoke or moved. Not even Sirius dared to look the Gryffindor Head of House in the eye.

Professor McGonagall spoke quietly, "I believe the Headmaster would like to speak to all of you. Afterwards, I expect you back in your dormitories." Turning her backs on them, she murmured a password to the statue. As soon as the statue jumped aside, she disappeared with a flurry of robes and drained disappointment.

As soon as Professor McGonagall disappeared around the corner, Lily glared at Sirius.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "What?"

"Did you _really_ have to make a comment about the points?" Lily asked.

Sirius's response was interrupted by a deep gravelly voice, "Are you four going to enter or am I going to wait here all night?"

All four Gryffindors stared at the statue with varying degrees of surprise. If statues could make faces, Lily was sure this one would have been giving them its most condescending look. Lily stepped onto the staircase, shortly followed by the others. Before James could knock the door swung open, revealing a circular office. Lily was in awe of the sight before her. However, the three Marauders barely glanced around the office.

Dumbledore had a million different objects lying around, covering every square inch of available surface space in the room. Thousands of books, ancient and huge, lined the bookshelves. She felt a strong urge to read every one of those books; curious as to what knowledge the Headmaster's office could be hiding. A gorgeous bird called her attention, its fire red feathers gleaming softly. Lily never thought she would ever get to see a phoenix in person. Today was a day of many firsts. She glanced up at the portraits of past Hogwarts Headmasters surrounding the office. They were all dozing off, but seeing how nosy most portraits in Hogwarts were, they were probably only pretending.

Dumbledore smiled at Lily, "Do you like my office, Miss Evans?"

Lily nodded, feeling a bit foolish of her fascination. There were obviously more important matters at hand. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his spectacles,

"Fascination is a wonderful thing, Miss Evans. It's quite difficult for an old man like me to find something fascinating nowadays." Lily blinked. That had to be a coincidence… "Shall we begin?" She nodded, quickly taking a seat beside Peter.

James spoke up, allowing no time for small talk. "Professor, it was all a distraction. The giants—"

"I know, James, I know." Dumbledore interrupted, his eyes twinkling sadly beneath his spectacles. "I have guessed as much. However, I ask you to hold on to your speculations. Right now, I would like you four to recount your night from the moment you left the castle. Can you do that?"

They nodded in unison. Lily couldn't help but glance at James Potter. Her eyes met his and an unspoken agreement passed between them to only speak of what was completely important. Marauders secrets were just that: secrets.

Lily wrinkled her nose in annoyance, and turned her attention towards the headmaster. At _what_ point during tonight's events had she and James Potter become susceptible to silent agreements? Only friends did such things and they were _far_ from being friends. They were enemies. She hated him and he hated her. That's how it would always be.

/-/-/-/-/-/

_How dare you defy my orders?_

"No, my Lord. I did not mean any harm. I only meant to—"

_Enough!_ The temperature seemed to drop a thousand a degrees in less than a second. _I will not listen to your excuses. You have failed me. You…"_

"No. I did not mean to…my Lord, no. I apologize. I did not…NO, NO PLE—"

/-/-/-/-/-/

Damian Dearborn stared at the parchment in his hands, "He can't be…not now."

Jonathan Mulciber leaned back and crossed his arms, a smirk plastered across his face, "I reckon you're going to need some help mate."

"_If_ I needed help, I would get it from someone much smarter than you, Mulciber," Damian replied, rolling his eyes.

Mulciber grinned rather mischievously, "I might not be smart, but I _am_ resourceful, Dearborn."

Damian snickered, "That's rubbish. I've seen flobberworms more 'resourceful' than you."

Mulciber raised an eyebrow, contempt coloring his features, "Oh, really? Would a flobberworm know your true business at such a late hour? Would a flobberworm know of you and your estranged sibling? Would a _mere flobberworm_ know the tale of the Dearborns and how you suggested using your own sister to get rid of your dear old, traitor Uncle and Au—?"

"_Shut up_." Damian hissed, eyes glancing about franticly. "Just. Shut. Up."

Mulciber leaned back against the wall, smirking, "So what do you say, mate? Do you need some help?"

/-/-/-/-/-/

"I see." Dumbledore replied, finally breaking the seemingly eternal silence. He leaned back slightly, his contemplating eyes shining beneath those infamous half-moon spectacles. "More aurors have been assigned to guard this castle and I would appreciate it if you and your friends would follow curfew this year." Lily bit her lip, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"What do you think they were planning, Professor?" James asked, eyeing the headmaster intently.

"Whatever it is, James, we will be prepared for it. However, I would advise you and your friends to leave the investigations to the professors and Ministry," He said, a hint of smile still lingering upon his stern expression.

"I believe you must be absolutely exhausted. I have arranged for the four of you to spend the night in the Hospital Wing," Dumbledore continued, "I must insist you go." Lily pursed her lips; obviously this wasn't up for negotiation.

The Headmaster smiled kindly at her, "The side effects of the curse will wear off with a good nights rest, Miss Evans." Lily nodded. She paused, contemplating whether it was appropriate for her to even ask what was on her mind.

"Yes, Miss Evans?"

Lily glanced away, hesitantly. An unfamiliar book on the headmaster's desk momentarily sidetracked her. _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_, Lily read. Lily shook her head slightly, refusing to allow a book to distract her once again. "Um, if I may ask, Professor, why exactly weren't you here today?" Wow, such tact Lily.

Dumbledore chuckled, amused, "Let's just say I was searching for the answer to a lifelong question of mine. Perhaps we'll get to discuss it sometime." The headmaster seemed to glance down at his desk before turning away. Lily couldn't help but stare at him. For a split second his entire expression seemed to shift into something Lily couldn't quite figure out. A whirlwind of emotions flickered through those bright blue eyes, and she felt as if she really shouldn't be here any longer. Without another word, Lily turned to leave.

"And Miss Evans?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Please be more careful next time."

"I'll try."

She heard him chuckle as she shut the door behind her.

/-/-/-/-/-/

"We're going to get involved in the investigation, aren't we?" Peter asked with widening eyes, as soon as they were clear of the stone statues.

"Of course we are," Lily replied.

"You're not considered a part of the 'we', Evans," James remarked.

Before Lily could respond, Sirius threw an arm around her shoulders and wiggled his eyebrows, "Sod off, James. Lilykins is always a part of the group."

Lily shoved Sirius as far as she could, blushing at his suggestive tone, "Did you really just call me '_Lilykins_'?"

"I think I've earned the right, seeing as we've been on a life threatening adventure together."

"_And_ we're having a sleepover in the Hospital Wing. We should be best mates," Lily rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself.

"Finally! I thought you'd never ask," Sirius, the _arse_, winked at her when she caught him grinning over her shoulder at Potter.

Someone made a gagging noise from behind Peter, and suddenly the corridor was full to the brim with suffocating tension. Victoria Black, one of the new fifth year prefects, stood at the end of the corridor. She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Are you lot going to enter the Hospital Wing or not?" Victoria asked, after a moment of silence, the confused kind on Lily's part.

"Shouldn't you be in the dorms with the rest of the students?" Peter asked. Surprisingly he was the only one that seemed even remotely calm at the sight of the Slytherin.

"I could ask you the same thing," Victoria replied, eyeing Peter with a half angry, half panicked expression. A moment later, Victoria exhaled loudly and stomped through the group. Lily was pretty sure she elbowed Sirius on purpose.

The Hospital Wing doors slammed shut behind her, with a resounding thud. Lily knew Sirius didn't get along well with his cousins, or family in general, but she never knew it was _this_ hostile. Then again, maybe that's what happens when your family disowns you for the person you choose to be._ Just look at Petunia and you_, that irritating voice from summer break murmured from somewhere deep inside her head.

Lily decided to break the silence, before she went mental from the tension and stupid voice inside her head, "What was that about?"

James and Sirius shoved the doors open, storming off without answering her question. Lily frowned.

Peter threw a reassuring smile in her direction, "It's nothing. Just family stuff."

/-/-/-/-/-/

_Swirls of black and gray and green spilled everywhere. Bright, dangerously bright, flashes of green flooded everything. Everything around her seemed to amplify tenfold, from the cold breeze tickling her wet cheeks to the bawling of a baby. The fear and overwhelming loss was literally breaking her._

Harry.

_The name echoed all around her. It resounded inside her head like a banging drum, hammering rhythms into her brain. Whoever this Harry was, she needed to protect him. The emotions and senses seemed to swallow her whole. She struggled against the tide. _

_The darkness morphed into something more substantial, something that seemed to throw her whole body into a fiery state. Kisses. They were kisses, trailing over her entire body and sinking into her very being. A name passed her lips, but as soon as it slipped from her mouth it also slipped from her mind. Hair, soft as feathers, brushed against her fingers. He smelled of leather and soap and _the outside_. He smelled of everything she loved. The emotions and senses seemed to swallow her whole. And this time she wanted to drown in them. This time she let them shatter her._

Lily sat up quickly, sweating, gasping for breath. Bloody _hell_. She felt like she was burning up.

"You're crying," Lily looked up to find herself face to face with a girl with familiar hazel eyes and reddish-brown hair. Lily touched her face and found that it was, in fact, wet with tears. Lily frowned. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Lily shrugged, "Yeah, I think so." She was still a little shaken from that dream. It seemed so real. Lily glanced around the Hospital Wing surprised at how empty it was. Where did everyone else go?

"They all left. I reckon you've been here for about…two days."

"What? That can't be true!"

"Completely and utterly. Tori mentioned you've been here as long as me and I've been here for two days."

Lily stared at the girl, trying to concentrate on something other than her turning stomach. The huge, hazel eyes and splatter of freckles made the girl look so innocent, but there was something off about her. Lily couldn't pinpoint exactly _what _it was though. Maybe she was just being paranoid. "Well, not to be rude or anything, but who are you?"

She smiled, "I'm Sasha. Sasha Dearborn."

"Sasha Dearborn… as in Damian Dearborn's little sister?" Lily asked, feeling a bit bewildered. From what others had told her about Sasha Dearborn, Lily had expected nothing less than a troll in a Hogwarts uniform.

Sasha's grin quickly turned into a frown, "Is that a problem?"

"Of course not, it's just… you look nothing like your brother." It was true. Where Damian was cold and sneering, she was warm and happy, but, of course, Lily could only assume this from her meager first impression.

Sasha laughed, humorlessly, her eyes darkening significantly, "Everyone says that. I look like the wrong side of my family, actually."

Lily blinked, "The wrong side of the family?" There could be a wrong side to a family?

She stared intently into Lily's eyes, "The Potters." The Potters had a wrong side to their family? No, wait. The Potters _were_ the wrong side of the family. That meant that Sasha Dearborn was _related_ to the Potters? _Damian_ Dearborn was related to Potter?

"Well, that explains the eyes." was all Lily managed to say.

"You _noticed_ his eyes?" What was that supposed to mean? Lily had noticed James Potter's eyes, but that was because he was always staring at her last year. But why did she have to emphasize it like it meant something else?

"No," She replied, loudly. Sasha grinned pointedly and Lily realized Sasha had never mentioned whom she was referencing when she said "he". Bugger,this girl was obviously a lot less innocent than she seemed. Or Lily was paranoid. Then again, she had the right to be paranoid. The girl was related to _Potter_, for Merlin's sake.

"Sasha, what are you doing?" Victoria Black asked, her eyes darting between Sasha and Lily. Oh, of course James Potter and Sirius Black's cousins would be friends. They were probably best friends. How ironic.

"Having a nice conversation with Lily Evans." Lily stared and Sasha Dearborn laughed hysterically. It was a tad haunting the way she giggled, and then she stopped abruptly, glancing at Victoria. "What's wrong, Tori?"

"Nothing. Although, I'm pretty sure Evans wants you to bugger off and I brought muffins." Sasha shrugged before grabbing a few from Victoria and bounding off without another word.

"That was…" Lily trailed off, unable to reach for the right word.

"Rude? Yeah, whatever. Save the self-righteous speech for later."

"I was going to say interesting," Lily replied, tightly.

Victoria Black only stared, her violet eyes disconcerting. "Here." She handed Lily a muffin and some jam. Lily's stomach grumbled in appreciation and Victoria rolled her eyes. Lily mumbled a thanks. "Don't mention it."

She turned away, before pivoting on her heels, "I just wanted to say that Sasha won't remember anything you two spoke about." She was giving Lily a very piercing look.

"Why not?"

Victoria shrugged, "Potions and pills," Then she promptly pulled the curtains closed around Lily's cot.

Lily dropped her head back. Maybe she should speak with the Divination teacher. Lily considered Divination to be complete rubbish, but it wouldn't hurt to discuss her nightmare with the professor. There was something eerie about it. Something unsettling.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm baaaaaaaaaack! I am not abandoning this story i refuse.<strong>

**I reread this and got reinspired and found this chapter in my folder, although it's actually half a chapter so I divided it up, that's why the ending seems a out of place.**

**I'm sorry guys 3 xx**

**Reviews are pretty boyband members feeding you cake yum **


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